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What are 3 uses for plutonium?
energy. Plutonium has been used to make nuclear weapons (such as “atomic bombs”) and in nuclear power plants to produce electricity. Plutonium has also been used as a portable energy supply in space probes and other space vehicles.
What is the main use of plutonium?
Because of this, it is used in nuclear weapons and some nuclear reactors. In fact, one of the biggest uses for plutonium is energy. According to the World Nuclear Association, over one-third of the energy produced in most nuclear power plants comes from plutonium. Plutonium is the main fuel in fast neutron reactors.
What is plutonium found in?
December 14, 1940
Plutonium/Discovered
What does plutonium do to humans?
Because it emits alpha particles, plutonium is most dangerous when inhaled. When plutonium particles are inhaled, they lodge in the lung tissue. The alpha particles can kill lung cells, which causes scarring of the lungs, leading to further lung disease and cancer.
Why is plutonium used in nukes?
Plutonium, both that routinely made in power reactors and that from dismantled nuclear weapons, is a valuable energy source when integrated into the nuclear fuel cycle. In a conventional nuclear reactor, one kilogram of Pu-239 can produce sufficient heat to generate nearly 8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.
What are the uses of plutonium?
The various isotopes of plutonium have been used in a number of applications. Plutonium-239 contains the highest quantities of fissile material, and is notably one of the primary fuels used in nuclear weapons.
What is plutonium 239 used for?
Plutonium-239 contains the highest quantities of fissile material, and is notably one of the primary fuels used in nuclear weapons. Plutonium-238 has more benign applications and has been used to power batteries for some heart pacemakers, as well as provide a long-lived heat source to power NASA space missions.
How is plutonium made in a nuclear power plant?
Plutonium and nuclear power Plutonium is formed in nuclear power reactors from uranium-238 by neutron capture. When operating, a typical 1000 MWe nuclear power reactor contains within its uranium fuel load several hundred kilograms of plutonium. Reaction in standard UO2 fuel
What is the colour of plutonium?
Plutonium appears silver grey in colour. It tarnishes if exposed to air forming a dull coating on itself, while in humid air it expands forming hydrides and oxides. The powdered form of plutonium is pyrophoric. It has six allotropic forms.