Nuclear fuel
![Nuclear Fuel Process](/Images/godic/202412/24/SchémaDechetsNucleaires_en.svg4302.png")
![A graph comparing nucleon number against binding energy](/Images/godic/202412/24/Binding_energy_curve_-_common_isotopes.svg4302.png")
![Close-up of a replica of the core of the research reactor at the Institut Laue-Langevin](/Images/godic/202412/24/ILL_core_8358_extract4302.jpg")
![The thermal conductivity of zirconium metal and uranium dioxide as a function of temperature](/Images/godic/202412/24/ZrUthermalcond4302.png")
Nuclear fuel is a material that can be 'burned' by nuclear fission or fusion to derive nuclear energy. Nuclear fuel can refer to the fuel itself, or to physical objects (for example bundles composed of fuel rods) composed of the fuel material, mixed with structural, neutron-moderating, or neutron-reflecting materials.