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- Uranium Metal & Depleted Uranium Synonyms:
uranium metal, U, depleted uranium, DU, radioactive, depleted uranium, uranium-235, uranium-238, CAS# 7440-61-1, CAS# 1344-58-7, Uranium Metal, Depleted Uranium (U), radioactive, uranium metal, U, depleted uranium, U3O8, du,
Chemical Name:
a) Uranium metal (U)
b) Depleted Uranium (DU)
a) The highest member of the naturally occurring elements, uranium is of great importance as a nuclear fuel. Once thought to be quite rare in occurrence, it is now known to be more abundant than silver cadmium, or mercury. It is lustrous, silvery-white metal that is malleable, ductile, and softer than steel. Uranium is dense, radioactive, and slightly paramagnetic.
b) In powder form, uranium is pyrophoric and reactive in water. Uranium metal is usually produced from uranium tetrafluoride, or green salt, in a thermite type reaction with magnesium.
- Depleted Uranium (DU) Description:
a) Depleted uranium (DU) is uranium primarily composed of the isotope uranium-238 (U-238). Natural uranium is about 99.27 percent U-238, 0.72 percent U-235, and 0.0055 percent U-234. U-235 is used for fission in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Uranium is enriched in U-235 by separating the isotopes by mass.
b) The byproduct of enrichment, called depleted uranium or DU, contains less than one third as much U-235 and U-234 as natural uranium. The external radiation dose from DU is about 60 percent of that from the same mass of natural uranium. DU is also found in reprocessed spent nuclear reactor fuel, but that kind can be distinguished from DU produced as a byproduct of uranium enrichment by the presence of U-236. In the past,
c) DU has been called Q-metal, depletalloy, and D-38.
99.7%
Turnings, pieces, powder, & shapes
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Atomic Number
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92
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Molecular Weight (g/mol.)
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236.03
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Apparent Density (g/cm3)
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19.07
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Specific Heat @25°C (cal/g-°C)
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.028
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Melting Point (°C)
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1132
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Boiling Point (°C)
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3818
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Thermal Conductance (cal/s-cm2-[°C/cm])
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.064
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Brinell Hardness
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187 cast
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Crystallography
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orthorhombic structure
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- Uranium Metal (U) Typical Applications:
a) The main use of uranium in the civilian sector is to fuel commercial nuclear power plants; by the time it is completely fissioned, one kilogram of uranium-235 can theoretically produce about 80 trillion joules of energy (8 × 1013 joules); as much energy as 3000 tonnes of coal.
b) Commercial nuclear power plants use fuel that is typically enriched to around 3% uranium-235. The CANDU reactor is the only commercial reactor capable of using unenriched uranium fuel. Fuel used for United States Navy reactors is typically highly enriched in uranium-235 (the exact values are classified). In a breeder reactor, uranium-238 can also be converted into plutonium through the following reaction:[5] 238U (n, gamma) ? 239U -(beta) ? 239Np -(beta) ? 239Pu.
c) The major application of uranium in the military sector is in high-density penetrators. This ammunition consists of depleted uranium (DU) alloyed with 1–2% other elements. At high impact speed, the density, hardness, and flammability of the projectile enable destruction of heavily armored targets. Tank armor and the removable armor on combat vehicles are also hardened with depleted uranium plates. The use of DU became politically and environmentally contentious after the use of DU munitions by the US, UK and other countries during wars in the Persian Gulf and the Balkans raised questions of uranium compounds left in the soil. Source: Wikipedia
a) Aside from nuclear applications (U-235), depleted uranium (U-238) is used in radiation shielding, counterweights in aircraft, gyroscopic rotors and vibration damping.
b) Potential non-military applications include: use in solar cells, environmental restoration, uranium oxide based catalysts (Fuel combustion, oxidation of various toxic products, VOC destruction, oil and gas processing e.g. steam or dry reforming of hydrocarbons), uranium cermet, and semiconductors. Source: Wikipedia
Airtight glass under argon in drums
a) Listed.
b) For further information please call the E.P.A. at +1.202.554.1404 or the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at +1.800.368.5642
c) Uranium is pyrophoric when finely divided. It will corrode under the influence of air and water producing insoluble uranium(IV) and soluble uranium (VI) salts. Soluble uranium salts are toxic. Uranium slowly accumulates in several organs, such as the liver, spleen, and kidneys. The World Health Organization has established a daily "tolerated intake" of soluble uranium salts for the general public of 0.5 µg/kg body weight, or 35 µg for a 70 kg adult. Source: Wikipedia
U= 7440-61-1
U03= 1344-58-7
U= UN# 2979 (Radioactive & Pyrophoric / Spontaneously combustible)
U03= UN# 2912 (Radioactive)
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