Difference between revisions of "Uranium"

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Unstable isotopes of uranium are used as fuel for nuclear reactors and as payload for [[nuclear weapon]]s.  Preparing uranium for use as a nuclear weapon requires that it be highly "enriched" by separating the unstable atoms from the more stable U-238 atoms using specialized centrifuges.  Uranium can also be enriched (to a lesser degree) for use in [[nuclear fission|nuclear reactors]], although not all reactor designs require enriched fuel.
Unstable isotopes of uranium are used as fuel for nuclear reactors and as payload for [[nuclear weapon]]s.  Preparing uranium for use as a nuclear weapon requires that it be highly "enriched" by separating the unstable atoms from the more stable U-238 atoms using specialized centrifuges.  Uranium can also be enriched (to a lesser degree) for use in [[nuclear fission|nuclear reactors]], although not all reactor designs require enriched fuel.


Depleted Uranium is elemental Uranium-238 that is left over after all of the fissile isotopes have been removed from the material.  When used as a projectile, the high density of Uranium makes it a powerful and effective weapon for the penetration of armor, so it is used in anti-tank weapons.
Depleted Uranium is elemental Uranium-238 that is left over after all of the fissile isotopes have been removed from the material.  Depleted uranium is used in some types of modern armor-piercing ammunition. It has several properties that make it ideal for penetrating armor:
* High density, giving it greater momentum
* Self-sharpening, maintaining a penetrating point when it fractures
* Pyrophoric, burning at high temperatures when it breaks or deforms


==External Links==
==External Links==

Latest revision as of 21:02, 15 August 2016

Uranium

Uranium is element number 92 on the periodic table. It is one of the heaviest elements found in nature, most commonly in the relatively stable Uranium-238 isotope. Lighter isotopes of uranium, such as U-235, U-233, and U-232, are unstable and prone to nuclear fission.

Unstable isotopes of uranium are used as fuel for nuclear reactors and as payload for nuclear weapons. Preparing uranium for use as a nuclear weapon requires that it be highly "enriched" by separating the unstable atoms from the more stable U-238 atoms using specialized centrifuges. Uranium can also be enriched (to a lesser degree) for use in nuclear reactors, although not all reactor designs require enriched fuel.

Depleted Uranium is elemental Uranium-238 that is left over after all of the fissile isotopes have been removed from the material. Depleted uranium is used in some types of modern armor-piercing ammunition. It has several properties that make it ideal for penetrating armor:

  • High density, giving it greater momentum
  • Self-sharpening, maintaining a penetrating point when it fractures
  • Pyrophoric, burning at high temperatures when it breaks or deforms

External Links