Uranium weapons, depleted

One of the most significant sources of change in isotope ratios is caused by the small mass differences between isotopes and their effects on the physical properties of elements and compounds. For example, ordinary water (mostly Ej O) has a lower density, lower boiling point, and higher vapor pressure than does heavy water (mostly H2 0). Other major changes can occur through exchange processes. Such physical and kinetic differences lead to natural local fractionation of isotopes. Artificial fractionation (enrichment or depletion) of uranium isotopes is the basis for construction of atomic bombs, nuclear power reactors, and depleted uranium weapons. 

Depleted Uranium. In the natural state U is a mixt of isotopes from which two, U23s and U238> are extracted for use in nuclear reactors and weapons. What remains after the extraction is known as depleted uranium which now exists in large quantities and for which few uses have so far been found. One property of U is its high d -it is heavier than Pb — and this has led to the investigation of its military applications... 

Modern Weapons Using Depleted-Uranium Projectiles... 

Under federal law, silencers are treated in the same category as automatic weapons. Armor-piercing ammunition (popularly called cop-killer bullets) were banned in 1986, with an expanded definition of banned bullets in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 that includes bullets made of tungsten, beryllium, depleted uranium, and other exotic materials. Other accessories can also cause a weapon to be banned (see Assault Weapons above). 

Nuclear weapons which usually use nuclear fusion, have far greater yields than weapons, which use only fission, as fusion releases more energy per kilogram and can also be used as a source of fast neutrons to cause fission in depleted uranium. 

This chapter describes depleted uranium and its applications in weapons of mass destruction. The DU exposure pathways, pharmacokinetics, health effects, toxicity, and available treatments are also reported. 

Depleted uranium is an excellent metallic substrate for radiation shielding and for armor and ammunition by the military due to its density and pyrophoric properties. Furthermore, the unique ability of uranium-based ammunitions to sharpen themselves upon impact, allowing for deeper penetration of the ammunitions, also makes DU a better substrate for weapons of mass destruction. As such, it is not suprising that the use of DU in military applications is expected to grow. This increased use will no doubt be bolstered by recent scientific studies showing that DU exposure has relatively low adverse health effects, contrary... 

Oliver, I.W., Graham, M.C., MacKenzie, A.B., Ellam, R.M., Farmer, J.G. (2007). Assessing depleted uranium (DU) contamination of soil, plants and earthworms at UK weapons testing sites. J. Environ. Monit. 9 740-8. 

The primary use for uranium is in nuclear power reactors and in weapons. Low-enriched metal or ceramic UO2 fuel pellets (enriched in fissile U-235) are produced for commercial power reactors. Smaller quantities of high-enriched fuel are produced for shipboard power reactors and weapons manufacture. Depleted uranium, a by-product of the enrichment process, is used for armor-piercing ammunition for the military, for counter balances and weights, and for radiation shielding. A small amount of uranium is used in specialty chemicals and catalysts. 

The extended radiation time for the domestic fuel increases the quantity of fission products and the higher actinides. Pure plutonium product poses nuclear weapons proliferation risk and is the primary reason reprocessing is not practiced in the United States. The modified PUREX process has been practiced on an industrial scale in Europe and supports the production of mixed uranium-plutonium fuel. Blended UO2 and PUO2 powder is compacted and sinter to form the mixed oxide (MOX) fuel pellets much like the enriched UO2 fuel. Natural and depleted uranium can be used to prepare MOX fuel and is the demonstrated option to recover fuel values from spent fuel. 

DSWA - Defense Special Weapons Agency. DTRA - Defense Threat Reduction Agency DU - Depleted Uranium. DU is a mixture of uranium metal used in armor piercing rounds and in tank armor. 

The deuterium and the tritium can react as shown by equations (17.15)—(17.19). If the temperature and pressure is high enough the D-D reaction can also contribute. Natural uranium, depleted uranium, or enriched uranium must probably be used to inqirove the neutron economy when the charge contains LiD. Secondary fission in uranium also leads to an increased energy production in the weapon. The high energy of the neutrons from the fusion reactions make them very effective for fission of U. The fission of U produces... 

Depleted uranium (uranium containing mostly U-238) can be used for radiation shielding or as projectiles in armor-piercing weapons. 

Uranium isotopes can be separated to increase the concentration of one isotope relative to another. This process is called "enrichment." The enriched fraction has increased U-235. Uranium-235 is belter for nuclear power reactors, and for making nuclear weapons. The process produces huge quantities of uranium that are depleted in U-235, but are almost pure U-238, called depleted uranium, or DU. 

BFS-1 critical facility was used to continue studies on the characteristics of fast reactor cores designed for the weapons grade plutonium utilization and minor actinides burning, for instance, the effect of neptunium introduction into fuel. The first stage of these studies made on the insert of the BN-800-Superphenix reactor fuel with up to 14% of depleted uranium dioxide replaced by neptunium dioxide was accomplished in 1995 (BFS-67 critical assemblies set). 

The biological environment may be disrupted in many ways as a result of weapons technologies. Nuclear weapons production, testing, use, and disposal may release ionizing radiation shells hardened with depleted uranium also release ionizing radiation. Conventional and chemical weapons may release toxic substances... 

---