How is Uranium used?
- Uranium is a white and black metallic chemical that is 70% more dense then lead and is slightly less dense then gold.
- Uranium is mainly needed for nuclear weapons and nuclear power stations.
- About half of the uranium that is mined today is used to produce nuclear weapons.
- Most nuclear weapons countries use uranium in nuclear weapons before they use it for nuclear power stations.
- There are 1100 nuclear reactors operating throughout the world, and only 430 are used to generate electricity.
- Some kinds of artificially produced radioisotopes are used in medicine, industry, and smoke detectors. (Radioisotopes are waste products of nuclear industry).
- Depleted uranium is used for armor piercing shells and missiles, and as ballast in yachts and aircraft. Uranium is readily converted to finely divided radioactive uranium oxide dust during fires such as when a plane crashes or when a missiles explodes.
- New uses for uranium are being found for depleted uranium.
Big New's: Uranium in Norton Sound Region (Alaska) website: http://elimuranium.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/how-is-uranium-used/
