What is uranium? Detailed answer

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What is uranium? Detailed answer

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What is uranium?

Uranium is a metal with mysterious properties. He gives man the key that unlocks the amazing energy of the atom. The natural radioactivity of uranium underlies its wide, sometimes surprising use in medicine, agriculture, industry, and biology.

A piece of pure uranium looks just like a piece of silver or steel. But he is surprisingly heavy for his size. 0,3 m³ uranium weighs more than half a ton. Uranium is the heaviest element found in nature. Uranus has two unusual features. It is radioactivity, which means that its atoms are slowly broken down, releasing energy in the form of radiation. Some of its atoms are capable of nuclear fission, meaning they can explode and split in two, releasing massive amounts of energy. The fission of uranium is the basis of nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons.

Chemically, uranium is very active. A piece of uranium exposed to air quickly acquires a blackish shell. This shell is a compound of uranium and atmospheric oxygen. Uranium also forms important compounds with many other elements. Uranium is widely distributed in small amounts, but has never been found in nature in its pure form.

Separation of uranium from ores is a very long and complicated process. The factories process hundreds of tons of ore a day, but only a few kilograms of uranium are produced from each ton. First, the ore is crushed and sieved. It is then subjected to various chemicals to clean it of contamination. The ore then goes through many refining processes until a bright, clay-like substance called "yellow cake" remains. This highly refined form of uranium is further refined so that only a small fraction of natural uranium can be fissioned.

A kilogram of uranium contains as much energy as 3 million kilograms of coal! In nuclear reactors, destructible uranium atoms release a huge amount of heat as a chain reaction occurs. This heat can be used to turn a turbine that drives an electrical generator.

Author: Likum A.

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