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Recycling - improve wording on breeding options #25

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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion recycling.md
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Expand Up @@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ physics. The key facts are:

The net result of these facts can be summarized with a plot of eta (η), which
is the number of neutrons released in fission per neutron absorbed in fuel. When
eta is sufficiently higher than 2.0, you can make a breeder reactor. Thus, the options are:
eta is sufficiently higher than 2.0, you can make a breeder reactor. Thus, some of the best options are:
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Good point. Since this raises a new question ('what else can breed?'), maybe it'd be better to just say:

Thus, the options are:

- Make a thorium/U-233 breeder with slow neutrons (left-hand side), or
- Make a uranium/plutonium breeder with fast neutrons (right-hand side)
- Make a thorium/U-233 breeder with fast neutrons (right-hand side,
  mostly interesting to countries with lots of thorium)

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@Astlaan Astlaan May 8, 2025 •
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Hmm, so, in this specific part, you were talking about breeder reactors, and the combinations you can use in order to do breeding.

In this case, there would be many combinations:

  • the above you mentioned, but also:
  • Plutonium/Thorium (to breed U233, which India is in fact planning for phase 2 of their program with FBRs).
  • I think I also saw U235+Pu239/Th232 being possible somewhere...
  • Maybe others would even be technically viable, even if not interesting, like U233/U238 with fast neutrons.

So, specifically for breeding (which is the topic of the section), there could eventually be many combinations.

If we are talking about "sustainable cycles", then yes, this would match what you put above. So maybe we can put what you said, but then to be correct, mention "the options for breeding with long-term sustainability potential are:",

What do you think?


- Make a thorium/U-233 breeder with slow neutrons (left-hand side), or
- Make a uranium/plutonium breeder with fast neutrons (right-hand side)
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