Where does the fuel come from, and what happens to it afterward?
What happens before the reactor?
In a conventional uranium fuel cycle, uranium is recovered and concentrated, converted into a form suited to enrichment, enriched to increase its uranium-235 concentration, and fabricated into fuel. These steps solve different problems; they are not interchangeable.
Fuel routes before and after the reactor
What happens after the fuel is removed?
The fuel produces heat in a reactor. After removal, interim storage manages the continuing heat and radiation. Storage and final disposal are distinct stages.
Can that material be used again?
Some fuel cycles include reprocessing to recover material for reuse. A simple line from mining to disposal is useful as an initial map, but it cannot represent every possible fuel cycle.
What changes from one stage to the next?
Chemical form, isotope composition, physical arrangement, and storage requirements change at different stages. Understanding those differences matters when comparing fuel cycles.
Still to understand
Which parts of this map change when the reactor design or fuel type changes?