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Protactinium-233 is formed upon neutron capture by 232 Th. It either further decays to uranium-233, or captures another neutron and converts into the non-fissile uranium-234. [42] 233 Pa has a relatively long half-life of 27 days and high cross section for neutron capture (the so-called "neutron poison").
Thorium-233 decays into protactinium-233 through beta decay. Protactinium-233 has a half-life of 27 days and beta decays into uranium-233; some proposed molten salt reactor designs attempt to physically isolate the protactinium from further neutron capture before beta decay can occur, to maintain the neutron economy (if it misses the 233 U ...
Protactinium-233 is also part of the thorium fuel cycle. It is an intermediate beta decay product between thorium-233 (produced from natural thorium-232 by neutron capture) and uranium-233 (the fissile fuel of the thorium cycle). Some thorium-cycle reactor designs try to protect Pa-233 from further neutron capture producing Pa-234 and U-234 ...
233 Th is an isotope of thorium that decays into protactinium-233 through beta decay. It has a half-life of 21.83 minutes. [ 1 ] Traces occur in nature as the result of natural neutron activation of 232 Th. [ 58 ]
and 233 U. [17] On a closed cycle, 233 U and 231 Pa can be reprocessed. 231 Pa is also considered an excellent burnable poison absorber in light water reactors. [23] Another challenge associated with the thorium fuel cycle is the comparatively long interval over which 232 Th breeds to 233 U. The half-life of 233 Pa
Uranium-232 (232 U) is an isotope of uranium.It has a half-life of around 69 years and is a side product in the thorium cycle.It has been cited as an obstacle to nuclear proliferation using 233 U as the fissile material, because the intense gamma radiation emitted by 208 Tl (a daughter of 232 U, produced relatively quickly) makes the 233 U contaminated with it more difficult to handle.
In the thorium cycle, thorium-232 breeds by converting first to protactinium-233, which then decays to uranium-233. If the protactinium remains in the reactor, small amounts of uranium-232 are also produced, which has the strong gamma emitter thallium-208 in its decay chain. Similar to uranium-fueled designs, the longer the fuel and fertile ...
Thorium-233 beta decays into protactinium-233. Protactinium-233 has a half-life of 27 days and beta decays into uranium-233; some proposed molten salt reactor designs attempt to physically isolate the protactinium from further neutron capture before beta decay can occur. Uranium-233 usually fissions on neutron absorption but sometimes retains ...