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Plutonium oxide is substantially more toxic than uranium oxide, making fuel manufacture more difficult and expensive. As plutonium isotopes absorb more neutrons than uranium fuels, reactor control systems may need modification. MOX fuel tends to run hotter because of lower thermal conductivity, which may be an issue in some reactor designs.
The odd numbered fissile plutonium isotopes present in spent nuclear fuel, such as Pu-239, decrease significantly as a percentage of the total composition of all plutonium isotopes (which was 1.11% in the first example above) as higher and higher burnups take place, while the even numbered non-fissile plutonium isotopes (e.g. Pu-238, Pu-240 and ...
Plutonium: The Gods Themselves: Isotope of plutonium; too unstable to exist in our world, but exists naturally in fictional parallel universes whose strong nuclear force is stronger. This is used as a source of energy where turned into 186 W, releasing electrons in the process. [citation needed] Lightest known isotope of plutonium: 227 Pu. Quantium
Plutonium recovered from LWR spent fuel, while not weapons grade, can be used to produce nuclear weapons at all levels of sophistication, [25] though in simple designs it may produce only a fizzle yield. [26] Weapons made with reactor-grade plutonium would require special cooling to keep them in storage and ready for use. [27]
Trace amounts of plutonium-238, plutonium-239, plutonium-240, and plutonium-244 can be found in nature. Small traces of plutonium-239, a few parts per trillion , and its decay products are naturally found in some concentrated ores of uranium, [ 54 ] such as the natural nuclear fission reactor in Oklo , Gabon . [ 55 ]
Plutonium-239 is the primary fissile isotope used for the production of nuclear weapons, although uranium-235 is also used for that purpose. Plutonium-239 is also one of the three main isotopes demonstrated usable as fuel in thermal spectrum nuclear reactors, along with uranium-235 and uranium-233. Plutonium-239 has a half-life of 24,110 years. [1]
The δ phase has more typical metallic character and is roughly as strong and malleable as aluminium. In fission weapons, the explosive shock waves used to compress a plutonium core will also cause a transition from the usual δ phase plutonium to the denser α phase, significantly helping to achieve supercriticality. [9]
Various oxidation states of plutonium in solution. Plutonium compounds are compounds containing the element plutonium (Pu). At room temperature, pure plutonium is silvery in color but gains a tarnish when oxidized. [1] The element displays four common ionic oxidation states in aqueous solution and one rare one: [2] Pu(III), as Pu 3+ (blue lavender)