Uranium metallurgy

Uranium metallurgy

s.

Commercial-grade uranium can be produced through the reduction of uranium halides with alkali or alkaline earth metals. Uranium metal can also be made through electrolysis of KUF5 or UF4, dissolved in a molten CaCl2 and NaCl. Very pure uranium can be produced through the thermal decomposition of uranium halides on a hot filament.

The uranium isotope 235U is used as the fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. It is the only isotope existing in nature to any appreciable extent that is fissile, that is, fissionable by thermal neutrons. The isotope 238U is also important because it absorbs neutrons to produce a radioactive isotope that subsequently decays to the isotope 239Pu (plutonium), which also is fissile. Uranium in its natural state comprises just 0.71% 235U and 99.3% 238U, and the main focus of uranium metallurgy is the enrichment of uranium through isotope separation.

ources

*Uranium
*Enriched uranium
*Nuclear weapon design
*The technology of mining and metallurgy [http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu29me/uu29me08.htm] , retrieved 7 October 2005.

ee also

*Nuclear weapon design#Enriched materials

External links

* [http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu29me/uu29me08.htm The technology of mining and metallurgy]
* [http://legacystory.apps.em.doe.gov/text/close/close2.htm Building nuclear warheads: The process]
* [http://web.ead.anl.gov/uranium/guide/ucompound/propertiesu/table1.cfm List of Uranium Alloys]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • uranium processing — Introduction       preparation of the ore for use in various products.       Uranium (U), although very dense (19.1 grams per cubic centimetre), is a relatively weak, nonrefractory metal. Indeed, the metallic properties of uranium appear to be… …   Universalium

  • Uranium mining — The Ranger Uranium Mine in Australia …   Wikipedia

  • metallurgy — metallurgic, metallurgical, adj. metallurgically, adv. metallurgist /met l err jist/ or, esp. Brit., /meuh tal euhr jist/, n. /met l err jee/ or, esp. Brit., /meuh tal euhr jee/, n. 1. the technique or science of working or heating metals so as… …   Universalium

  • Navoi Mining & Metallurgy Combinat — Infobox Company company name = Navoi Mining Metallurgy Combinat company type = state owned foundation = 1958 location = flagicon|Uzbekistan Navoi, Uzbekistan key people = Sanakulov K., CEO num employees = 67.000 (2008) revenue = ) industry =… …   Wikipedia

  • Navoi Mining and Metallurgy Combinat — Navoi Mining Metallurgy Combine Type state owned enterprise Industry mining Founded 1958 Headquarters Navoi, Uzbekistan Key people Bekhzod Shovkatov, dire …   Wikipedia

  • Powder metallurgy — is the process of blending fine powdered materials, pressing them into a desired shape (compacting), and then heating the compressed material in a controlled atmosphere to bond the material (sintering). The powder metallurgy process generally… …   Wikipedia

  • McArthur River uranium mine — This article is about the uranium mine in Canada. For the lead zinc Mine in Australia, see McArthur River zinc mine. For other uranium mines in the McArthur Basin in the Northern Territory of Australia, see Ranger Uranium Mine. McArthur River… …   Wikipedia

  • Abdul Qadeer Khan — HI, NI (twice) Abdul Qadeer Khan, 1999. Born 1 April …   Wikipedia

  • Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid — IUPAC name Bis(2 ethylhexyl) hydrogen phosphate …   Wikipedia

  • Sodium uranate — Chembox new Name = Sodium uranate ImageFile = Sodium uranate.jpg ImageName = Sodium uranate OtherNames = Section1 = Chembox Identifiers CASNo = Section2 = Chembox Properties Formula = Na2O (UO3)2 MolarMass = Density = Solvent = other solvents… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”