What is the fuel of a nuclear reactor?
The fuel of a thermal nuclear reactor will be consisting of mixture of Uranium 235 and Uranium238. Naturally occurring Uranium contains 0.7% by weight U235. Depending on the type of reactor, fuel with Uranium 235 at various enrichment levels is used (Refer answer to Question 3 below). The fuel in earlier days used to be in metallic form but now it is mostly in Oxide form. However, in Fast reactors the fuel used is Plutonium Carbide or Plutonium and Uranium Oxide mixture. All Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors in India use natural Uranium as fuel. Only in case of Tarapur Atomic Power Station which is a Boiling Water type Reactor, fuel is made up of enriched Uranium.
