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Nuclear Safeguards Education Portal

Fissionable material

 In general, an isotope or a mixture of isotopes capable of nuclear fission. Some fissionable materials are capable of fission only by sufficiently fast neutrons (e.g., neutrons of a kinetic energy above 1 MeV). Isotopes that undergo fission by neutrons of all energies, including slow (thermal) neutrons, are usually referred to as fissile materials or fissile isotopes. For example, isotopes 233U, 235U, 239Pu and 241Pu are referred to as both fissionable and fissile, while 238U and 240Pu are fissionable but not fissile.