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Uranium metallurgy
Commercial-grade uranium can be produced through the reduction of uranium halides with alkali or alkaline earth metals. Uranium metal can also be made through electrolysis of KUF5 or UF4, dissolved in a molten CaCl2 and NaCl. Very pure uranium can be produced through the thermal decomposition of uranium halides on a hot filament.
The uranium isotope 235U is used as the fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. It is the only isotope existing in nature to any appreciable extent that is fissile, that is, fissionable by thermal neutrons. The isotope 238U is also important because it absorbs neutrons to produce a radioactive isotope that subsequently decays to the isotope 239Pu (plutonium), which also is fissile. Uranium in its natural state comprises just 0.71% 235U and 99.3% 238U, and the main focus of uranium metallurgy is the enrichment of uranium through isotope separation.
References
Sources
- Uranium
- Enriched uranium
- Nuclear weapon design
- The technology of mining and metallurgy http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu29me/uu29me08.htm, retrieved 7 October 2005.
References
- (1986). "The Production of Uranium metal by Reduction of its Fluoride with Calcium and Magnesium". Pakistan Steel Journal.
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