2 Moderators
The requirements of the moderator for a thermal reactor, namely low mass number, very low neutron capture cross-section and high scattering cross-section, limit the choice to only a few materials. Hydrogen and its isotope deuterium, carbon and beryllium are the only elements that are suitable. Hydrogen and deuterium, being gases, are not sufficiently dense and must e used in the form of compounds, water and heavy water being the obvious choices. The use of hydrocarbon has been tried, but has not been successful and such materials are not used as moderators. It is interesting to recall, however, that Fermi used paraffin wax in his early experiments in the 1930s to slow down neutrons and study their interactions with the elements, so he was one of the first scientists to be aware of the effects of neutron moderation.
Beryllium has a very low neutron capture cross-section (0.009barns), high melting point (about 1300oC) and good strength, and at one time it seemed possible that it would find an application either as the moderator or the fuel cladding in thermal reactors. However, it and its compounds are toxic, and beryllium itself has low conductivity and poor corrosion resistance. Beryllium oxide BeO also has undesirable properties. As a result of this neither beryllium nor its oxide have found any use in power reactor, and it is unlikely that they will be used in the future.