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Uranium: Depleted Uranium
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Uranium is a very dense, strongly electropositive, reactive metal; it is ductile and malleable, but a poor conductor of electricity. Many uranium alloys are of great interest in nuclear technology because the pure metal is chemically active and anisotropic and has poor mechanical properties. However, cylindrical rods of pure uranium coated with silicon and canned in aluminum tubes (slugs) are used in production reactors. Uranium alloys can ... be useful in diluting enriched uranium for reactors and in providing liquid fuels. Uranium depleted of the fissile isotope 235U has been used in shielded containers for storage and transport of radioactive materials. See also Nuclear fuels; Nuclear reactor.
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Uranium gained importance with the development of practical uses of nuclear energy. Depleted uranium is used as shelding to protect tanks, and ... in bullets and missiles. The first atomic bomb used in warfare was an uranium bomb. This bomb contained enough of the uramium-235 isotope to start a runaway chain reaction which in a fraction of a second caused a large number of the uranium atoms to undergo fission, there by releasing a fireball of energy.
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Uranium metal is very dense and heavy. When it is depleted (DU), uranium is used by the military as shielding to protect Army tanks, and ... in parts of bullets and missiles. The military also uses enriched uranium to power nuclear propelled Navy ships and submarines, and in nuclear weapons. Fuel used for Naval reactors is typically highly enriched in U-235 (the exact values are classified information). In nuclear weapons uranium is also highly enriched, usually over 90% (again, the exact values are classified information).
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In military applications, when alloyed, Depleted Uranium [DU] is ideal for use in armor penetrators. These solid metal projectiles have the speed, mass and physical properties to perform exceptionally well against armored targets. DU provides a substantial performance advantage, well above other competing materials. This allows DU penetrators to defeat an armored target at a significantly greater distance. Also, DU's density and physical properties make it ideal for use as armor plate. DU has been used in weapon systems for many years in both applications.
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Uranium isotopes can be separated to increase the concentration of one isotope relative to another. This process is called "enrichment." The enriched fraction has increased U-235. Uranium-235 is better for nuclear power reactors, and for making nuclear weapons. The process produces huge quantities of uranium that are depleted in U-235, but are almost pure U-238, called depleted uranium, or DU.
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Uranium is weakly radioactive. Uranium which has had all of its uranium-235 separated from it is called depleted uranium, and is used for bomb casings because it is very heavy and thick. Uranium can ... be used as a dye for glass or pottery, which is how it was used before people found out that it was radioactive and could be used for nuclear things.
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Depleted Uranium