Isotope separationIsotope separation is the process of concentrating specific isotopes of a chemical element by removing other isotopes. The use of the nuclides produced is varied. The largest variety is used in research (e.g. in chemistry where atoms of "marker" nuclide are used to figure out reaction mechanisms). By tonnage, separating natural uranium into enriched uranium and depleted uranium is the largest application.
Enriched uraniumEnriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 (written U) has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Naturally occurring uranium is composed primarily of three isotopes: uranium-238 (U, 99.2732–99.2752% natural abundance), uranium-235 (U, 0.7198–0.7210%), and uranium-234 (U, 0.0049–0.0059%).
Nuclear powerPower generated from nuclear reactionsThe Leibstadt Nuclear Power Plant in SwitzerlandPer capita nuclear power productionNuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium in nuclear power plants.
Light-water reactorThe light-water reactor (LWR) is a type of thermal-neutron reactor that uses normal water, as opposed to heavy water, as both its coolant and neutron moderator; furthermore a solid form of fissile elements is used as fuel. Thermal-neutron reactors are the most common type of nuclear reactor, and light-water reactors are the most common type of thermal-neutron reactor.
Uranium-238Uranium-238 (U or U-238) is the most common isotope of uranium found in nature, with a relative abundance above 99%. Unlike uranium-235, it is non-fissile, which means it cannot sustain a chain reaction in a thermal-neutron reactor. However, it is fissionable by fast neutrons, and is fertile, meaning it can be transmuted to fissile plutonium-239.
Uranium-234Uranium-234 (U or U-234) is an isotope of uranium. In natural uranium and in uranium ore, U occurs as an indirect decay product of uranium-238, but it makes up only 0.0055% (55 parts per million, or 1/18,000) of the raw uranium because its half-life of just 245,500 years is only about 1/18,000 as long as that of U. Thus the ratio of U to U in a natural sample is equivalent to the ratio of their half-lives.
Nuclear weaponA nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb types release large quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. Nuclear warfare is widely considered a global catastrophic risk.
UraniumChemical element with atomic number 92 (U)Nd↑U↓(Ubq)protactinium ← uranium → neptunium
Isotopes of uraniumStandard atomic weightAr°(U)238.02891±0.00003238.03±0.01 (abridged)Uranium (92U) is a naturally occurring radioactive element (radioelement) with no stable isotopes. It has two primordial isotopes, uranium-238 and uranium-235, that have long half-lives and are found in appreciable quantity in Earth's crust. The decay producturanium-234 is also found. Other isotopes such as uranium-233 have been produced in breeder reactors.
Uranium-235Uranium-235 (235U or U-235) is an isotope of uranium making up about 0.72% of natural uranium. Unlike the predominant isotope uranium-238, it is fissile, i.e., it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. It is the only fissile isotope that exists in nature as a primordial nuclide and was discovered in 1935 by Arthur Jeffrey Dempster. The release of energy from the fission of Uranium-235 powers most nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
Natural abundanceIn physics, isotopic abundance is the amount of one particular isotope of a chemical element as a fraction of all the atoms in that element in a sample. In a sample representing the naturally occurring isotopes, it is called the natural isotopic abundance, or natural abundance (NA) when the context is clear.
Primordial nuclideIn geochemistry, geophysics and nuclear physics, primordial nuclides, or primordial isotopes, are nuclides found on Earth that have existed in their current form since before Earth was formed.Fissile materialIn nuclear engineering, fissile material is material that can undergo nuclear fission when struck by a neutron of low energy. A self-sustaining thermal chain reaction can only be achieved with fissile material. The predominant neutron energy in a system may be typified by either slow neutrons (i.e., a thermal system) or fast neutrons. Fissile material can be used to fuel thermal-neutron reactors, fast-neutron reactors and nuclear explosives.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.