... days' shut-down to allow for the removal of plutonium-containing spent fuel and for refuelling). When weapon-grade plutonium was not required, the reactors were re-optimised to provide electricity for sale to the grid, entailing much longer irradiation periods. As a result, substantial quantities of fuel- and reactor-grade plutonium containing relatively large proportions of even-numbered isotopes have also ... final source of weapon-grade plutonium for the British bomb programme. Before ownership of these reactors was transferred from the UK Atomic Energy Authority to the Central Elect...

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• Approx Pages: 56
• Grade Level: Undergraduate