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Where does nuclear fuel come from?
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Uranium ore is crushed, ground, and chemically processed "yellow cake."
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Nuclear fuel starts with uranium, a naturally occurring radioactive material. The uranium ore is mined and refined into a brightly-colored solid uranium compound referred to as "yellow cake". The yellow cake is converted into various uranium metal alloys or compunds to be used as nuclear fuel. The uranium is formed into rods, pellets, or plates. They are completely sealed ("clad") with metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, or zircaloy to provide structural strength and to surround the fuel to prevent the release of radioactive particles.
What does nuclear fuel look like?
 Rods or plates containing uranium are formed into fuel assemblies that are used in nuclear reactors to provide energy. Nuclear fuel generates enormous quantities of safe, clean energy. Examples of simulated nuclear fuel (left to right): Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), Ft. St. Vrain (FSV) and Training, Research, and Isotope reactors built by General Atomics (TRIGA).
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Nuclear fuel is a solid material like coal or wood. It is not a liquid or a gas like oil or propane. Fuel rods or plates (elements) are bundled together and structurally reinforced to form a fuel assembly, typically containing 50-300 fuel elements. These assemblies are installed in a nuclear reactor. The size and form of a nuclear fuel assembly depends on the type of reactor in which it will be used. The Department of Energy (DOE) manages many different types of nuclear fuel assemblies, ranging from small ones weighing about 2 pounds, to some that weigh almost half a ton.
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