| Themes > Science > Chemistry > Nuclear Chemistry > Nuclear Reactions > Transmutation > Breeding and transmutation > The Thorium-Uranium cycle |
As already stressed, production of transuranic or transplutonic elements would be two to three orders of magnitude smaller in reactors using the Thorium-Uranium cycle than in present day PWR reactors. When the choice was made in favor of the plutonium economy, considerations about the level of nuclear waste production were not considered as a top priority. This is one of the reasons why the Thorium-Uranium cycle was disregarded. Nowadays it is clear that this cycle would offer great advantages by a considerable reduction of incineration needs. We shall see that, in this context, hybrid reactors, with their favorable neutron balance, might have special interest. |
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