Uranium

Applications

Uranium metal is very dense and heavy. Depleted uranium (almost pure 238U with less than 0.2% 235U) is used by some militaries as shielding to protect tanks, and also in parts of bullets, kinetic energy penetrators and missiles, as it is extremely dense. The military also uses enriched uranium (more than natural levels of 235U) to power nuclear propelled navy ships and submarines, and in nuclear weapons. Fuel used for United States Navy reactors is typically highly enriched in 235U (the exact values are classified information). In nuclear weapons uranium is also highly enriched, usually over 90% (again, the exact values are classified information) to a level known as "weapons grade".

Related Topics:
Depleted uranium - Militaries - Tank - Bullet - Kinetic energy penetrator - Missile - Enriched uranium - Navy - Submarine - United States Navy - Classified information

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The main use of uranium in the civilian sector is to fuel commercial nuclear power plants, where fuel is typically enriched in 235U to 2-3%. However, the Canadian Candu reactors use natural uranium (i.e.unenriched) as fuel. Depleted uranium is used in helicopters and airplanes as counterweights on certain wing parts. Other uses include;

Related Topics:
Candu - Natural uranium - Helicopter - Airplane

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• Ceramic glazes where small amounts of natural uranium (that is, not having gone through the enrichment process) may be added for color.
• Addition of uranium makes fluorescent yellow or green colored glass.
• The long half-life of the isotope ²³⁸U (4.51 × 10⁹ years) make it well-suited for use in estimating the age of the earliest igneous rocks and for other types of radiometric dating (including uranium-thorium dating and uranium-lead dating).
• ²³⁸U is converted into plutonium in breeder reactors. Plutonium can be used in reactors, or in nuclear weapons.
• Uranyl acetate, UO₂(CH₃COO)₂ is used in analytical chemistry. It forms an insoluble salt with sodium.
• Some lighting fixtures utilize uranium, as do some photographic chemicals (esp. uranium nitrate).
• Phosphate fertilizers often contain high amounts of natural uranium, because the mineral material from which they are made is typically high in uranium.
• Uranium metal is used for X-ray targets in making of high-energy X-rays.
• Its high atomic mass makes U-238 suitable for radiation shielding.
• Due to its high density, the element has found use in inertial guidance devices and in gyroscopic compasses; see uses of depleted uranium.