HEAVY WATER REACTOR

'Heavy water reactors' use heavy water as a neutron moderator. Heavy water is deuterium oxide, D₂O. Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen. Most hydrogen atoms have a nucleus that consists of only a single proton, but deuterium has a proton and a neutron, which makes it approximately twice as heavy as a regular hydrogen atom. Heavy water has two atoms of deuterium bonded to an oxygen atom. Neutrons in a nuclear reactor that uses uranium must be slowed down so that they are more likely to split other atoms and get more neutrons released to split other atoms. Light water can be used, as in a light water reactor, but since it absorbs neutrons the uranium must be enriched for criticality to be possible. The most common pressurised heavy water reactor is the CANDU reactor.
Proponents of heavy water reactors suggest that because such reactors can be fueled with unenriched uranium there is less risk of nuclear proliferation; an ideal product to be marketed to nations that have no legitimate use for uranium enrichment facilities. While there is no need for fuel enrichment, heavy water reactors produce more plutonium as a by-product of normal use, which can be used in nuclear weaponry. India produced its plutonium for Operation Smiling Buddha, its first nuclear weapon test from plutonium extracted from a CIRUS reactor. Heavy water reactors require a set of safeguards to prevent their exploitation in such a fashion.

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See Also

See Also

NRX

CIRUS

MIT Nuclear Research Reactor

CANDU