Syllabus Coverage: NFC2.1, NFC2.3, NFC2.4
Mixed oxide (MOX) fuels are constructed from oxides of uranium with the addition of plutonium from recycling. They make use of the stockpile of reactor-grade plutonium and can, in the once-through MOX cycle, be used as a method of disposing of unwanted weapons-grade plutonium (which has a low Pu-240 content).
MOX fuels are 4—5 times more expensive to fabricate than conventional uranium fuel.