URANIUM

History:

(Planet Uranus) Yellow-colored glass, containing more than 1% uranium oxide and dating back to 79 A.D., has been found near Naples, Italy. Klaproth recognized an unknown element in pitchblende and attempted to isolate the metal in 1789. The metal apparently was first isolated in 1841 by Peligot, who reduced the anhydrous chloride with potassium. Uranium is not as rare as it was once thought. It is now considered to be more plentiful than mercury, antimonry, silver, or cadmium, and is about as abundant as molybdenum or arsenic. It occurs in numberous minerals such as pitchblende, uraninite, carnotite, autunite, uranophane, and tobernite. It is also found in phosphate rock, lignite, monazite sands, and can be recovered commercially from these sources. The U.S.D.O.E. purchases uranium in the form of acceptable U3O8 concentrates. This incentive program has greatly increased the known uranium reserves. Uranium can be prepared by reducing uranium halides with alkali or alkaline earth metals or by reducing uranium oxides by calcium, aluminum, or carbon at high temperatures. The metal can also be produced by electrolysis of KUF5 or UF4, dissolved in a molten mixture of CaCl2 and NaCl. High-purity uranium can be prepared by the thermal decomposition of uranium halides on a hot filament. Uranium exhibits three crystallographic modifications as follows: alpha --(688C)--> beta --(776C)--> gamma. Uranium is a heavy, silvery-white metal which is pyrophoric when finely divided. It is a little softer than steel, and is attacked by cold water in a finely divided state. It is malleable, ductile, and slightly paramagnetic. In air, the metal becomes coated with a layer of oxide. Acids dissolve the metal, but it is unaffected by alkalis. Uranium has sixteen isotopes, all of which are radioactive. Naturally occuring uranium nominally contains 99.28305 by weight 238U, 0.7110% 235U, and 0.0054% 234U. Studies show that the percentage weight of 235U in natural uranium varies by as much as 0.1%, depending on the source. The U.S.D.O.E. has adopted the value of 0.711 as being their "official" percentage of 235U in natural uranium. Natural uranium is sufficently radioative to expose a photographic plate in an hour or so. Much of the internal heat of the earth is thought to be attributable to the presence of uranium and thorium. 238U with a half-life of 4.51 x 10^9 years, has been used to estimate the age of igneous rocks. The origin of uranium, the highest member of the naturally occurring elements - except perhaps for traces of neptunium or plutonium - is not clearly understood, although it may be presumed that uranium is a decay product of elements of higher atomic weigh These original elements may have been formed as a result of a primordial "creation," known as "the big bang," in a supernova, or in some other stellar processes. Uranium is of great importance as a nuclear fuel. 238U can be converted into fissionable plutonium by the following reactions: 238U(n, gamma) --> 239U --(beta)--> 239Np --(beta)--> 239Pu. This nuclear conversion can be brought about in "breeder" reactors where it is possible to produce more new fissionable material than the fissionable material used in maintaining the chain reaction. 235U is of even greater importance, for it is the key ot the utilization of uranium. 235U, while occuring in natural uranium to the extent of only 0.71%, is so fissionable with slow neutrongs that a self-sustaining fission chain reaction can be made to occur in a reactor constructed from natural uranium and a suitable moderator, such as h 235U can be concentrated by gaseous diffusion and other physical proceses, if desired, and used directly as a nuclear fuel, instead of natural uranium, or used as an explosive. Natural uranium, slightly enriched with 235U by a small percentage, is used to fuel nuclear power reactors for the generation of electricity. Natural thorium can be irradiated with neutrons as follows to produce the important isotope 233U: 232Th(n, gamma)--> 233Th --(beta)--> 233Pa --(beta)--> 233U. While thorium itself is not fissionable, 233U is, and in this way may be used as a nuclear fuel. One pound of completely fissioned uranium has the fuel value of over 1500 tons of coal. The uses of nuclear fuels to generate electrical power, to make isotopes for peaceful purposes, and to make explosives are well known. The estimated world-wide capacity of the 429 nuclear power reactors in operation in January 1990 ammounted to about 311,000 megawatts. Uranium in the U.S.A. is controlled by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. New used are being found for "depleted" uranium, ie; uranium with the percentage of 235U lowered to about 0.2%. It has found use in inertial guidance devices, gyro compasses, counterweights for aircraft control surfaces, as ballast for missile reentry vehicles, and as a shielding material. Uranium metal is used for X-ray targets for procution of high-energy X-rays; the nitrate has been used as a phtographic toner, and the acetate is used in analytical chemistry. Crystals of uranium nitrate are triboluminescent. Uranium salts have also been used for producing yellow "vaseline" glass and glazes. uranium and its compounds are highly toxic, both from a chemical and radiological standpoint. Finely divided uranium metal, being pyrophoric, presents a fire hazard. The maximum recommended allowable concentration of soluble uranium compound in air (based on chemical toxicity) is 0.2 mg/m^3 (8-hour time-weighted average - 40-hour week). The maximum permissible total body burden of natural uranium (based on radiotoxicity) is 0.2 micro-curie for soluble compounds. Recently, the natural presence of uranium in many soils has become of concern to homeowners because of the generation of radon and its daughters (see under Radon).

Source: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 1913-1995. David R. Lide, Editor in Chief. Author: C.R. Hammond

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