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Plutonium(IV) oxide, or plutonia, is a chemical compound with the formula Pu O 2. This high melting-point solid is a principal compound of plutonium . It can vary in color from yellow to olive green, depending on the particle size, temperature and method of production.
Molten metal must be kept in a vacuum or an inert atmosphere to avoid reaction with air. [9] At 135 °C the metal will ignite in air and will explode if placed in carbon tetrachloride. [10] Plutonium pyrophoricity can cause it to look like a glowing ember under certain conditions. Twenty micrograms of pure plutonium hydroxide. Plutonium is a ...
Plutonium that reaches body organs generally stays in the body for decades and continues to expose the surrounding tissue to radiation and thus may cause cancer. [149] A commonly cited quote by Ralph Nader states that a pound of plutonium dust spread into the atmosphere would be enough to kill 8 billion people. [150]
The Plutonium-238 used in RTGs has a half-life of 88 years, as opposed to the plutonium-239 used in nuclear weapons and reactors, which has a half-life of 24,100 years. [ full citation needed ] In April 1964 a SNAP-9A failed to achieve orbit and disintegrated, dispersing roughly 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of plutonium-238 over all continents.
Plutonium(IV) sulfate is a chemical compound consisting of plutonium and sulfate ions, with the chemical formula Pu(SO 4) 2 ·xH 2 O. It has been observed as a tetrahydrate, where x=4, [1] [3] as well as an anhydrous form, where x=0. [2] The tetrahydrate has been used as a primary analytical standard for plutonium. [5]
Krypton-85 in the atmosphere has been used to detect clandestine nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities in North Korea [47] and Pakistan. [48] Those facilities were detected in the early 2000s and were believed to be producing weapons-grade plutonium. Krypton-85 is a medium lived fission product and thus escapes from spent fuel when the cladding ...
Watchdogs are raising new concerns about legacy contamination in Los Alamos, the birthplace of the atomic bomb and home to a renewed effort to manufacture key components for nuclear weapons. A ...
Plutonium in the delta (δ) phase [8] normally exists in the 310 °C to 452 °C range but is stable at room temperature when alloyed with a small percentage of gallium, aluminium, or cerium, enhancing workability and allowing it to be welded in weapons applications. The δ phase has more typical metallic character and is roughly as strong and ...