Table of Contents
What is uranium composed of?
Naturally occurring uranium consists of 99% uranium-238 and 1% uranium-235. Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring fissionable fuel (a fuel that can sustain a chain reaction). Uranium fuel used in nuclear reactors is enriched with uranium-235.
Is uranium a compound element?
Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table.
What is radioactive uranium compound?
Uranium is a radioactive element that occurs naturally in varying but small amounts in soil, rocks, water, plants, animals and all human beings. Uranium can be processed to make fuel for nuclear reactors, and for use in U.S. National Defense.
What mineral is uranium found in?
uraninite
Uranium is obtained from the minerals autunite, carnotite, monazite, samarskite, and uraninite or pitchblende (uranium dioxide). Other common uranium-bearing minerals include betafite and torbernite. It is mined in Canada, Australia, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa and the USA.
What is the most radioactive form of uranium?
U-238
Uranium-234 has the shortest half-life of them all at 245,500 years, but it occurs only indirectly from the decay of U-238. In comparison, the most radioactive element is polonium. It has a half-life of a mere 138 days.
Where is uranium most common?
Globally, the distribution of uranium ore deposits is widespread on all continents, with the largest deposits found in Australia, Kazakhstan, and Canada. To date, high-grade deposits are only found in the Athabasca Basin region of Canada.
What are the common compounds of uranium?
Hydrides. The term hydride is used to indicate compounds of the type MxHyand not necessarily to indicate that any compounds listed behave as hydrides chemically.
Is uranium usually found as a compound or pure form?
In nature, uranium is generally found as an oxide, such as in the olive-green-colored mineral pitchblende. Uranium oxide is also the chemical form most often used for nuclear fuel. Uranium-fluorine compounds are also common in uranium processing, with uranium hexafluoride (UF 6) and uranium tetrafluoride (UF 4) being the two most common. In its pure form, uranium is a silver-colored metal.
What are some common uses for uranium?
Uranium’s main uses are as a nuclear fuel to generate electrical power, to produce isotopes for peaceful intentions (e.g. in nuclear medicine) and to make explosives. Uranium metal is used for X-ray targets for production of high-energy X-rays.
What is uranium’s common uses?
Civilian Uses: The major use of uranium in a non-military capacity is in nuclear power plants. Before people knew that uranium was radioactive it was used as a yellow coloring for pottery and glassware. Uranium was used in photographic chemicals, lamp filaments, to improve the whiteness of dentures and in the leather and wood industry as stains and dyes.