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Uranium-234 (234 U or U-234) is an isotope of uranium.In natural uranium and in uranium ore, 234 U occurs as an indirect decay product of uranium-238, but it makes up only 0.0055% (55 parts per million, or 1/18,000) of the raw uranium because its half-life of just 245,500 years is only about 1/18,000 as long as that of 238 U.
Natural uranium (NU or U nat [1]) is uranium with the same isotopic ratio as found in nature. It contains 0.711% uranium-235 , 99.284% uranium-238 , and a trace of uranium-234 by weight (0.0055%). Approximately 2.2% of its radioactivity comes from uranium-235, 48.6% from uranium-238, and 49.2% from uranium-234.
234 U occurs in natural uranium as an indirect decay product of uranium-238, but makes up only 55 parts per million of the uranium because its half-life of 245,500 years is only about 1/18,000 that of 238 U. The path of production of 234 U is this: 238 U alpha decays to thorium-234. Next, with a short half-life, 234 Th beta decays to ...
Uranium-234 is a member of the uranium series and occurs in equilibrium with its progenitor, 238 U; it undergoes alpha decay with a half-life of 245,500 years [7] and decays to lead-206 through a series of relatively short-lived isotopes. Uranium-233 undergoes alpha decay with a half-life of 160,000 years and, like 235 U, is fissile. [12]
Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 (written 235 U) has been increased through the process of isotope separation.Naturally occurring uranium is composed of three major isotopes: uranium-238 (238 U with 99.2732–99.2752% natural abundance), uranium-235 (235 U, 0.7198–0.7210%), and uranium-234 (234 U, 0.0049–0.0059%).
The isotope 238 U is also important because it absorbs neutrons to produce a radioactive isotope that subsequently decays to the isotope 239Pu (plutonium), which also is fissile. Uranium in its natural state comprises just 0.71% 235 U and 99.3% 238 U, and the main focus of uranium metallurgy is the enrichment of uranium through isotope separation.
Natural uranium is made weapons-grade through isotopic enrichment. Initially only about 0.7% of it is fissile U-235, with the rest being almost entirely uranium-238 (U-238). They are separated by their differing masses. Highly enriched uranium is considered weapons-grade when it has been enriched to about 90% U-235. [citation needed]
It has the chemical symbol U and atomic number 92. The most common isotopes in natural uranium are 238 U (99.274%) and 235 U (0.711%). All uranium isotopes present in natural uranium are radioactive and fissionable, and 235 U is fissile (will support a neutron-mediated chain reaction). Uranium, thorium, and one radioactive isotope of potassium (40