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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.
Much of this plutonium is absorbed into sediments of lakes, rivers and oceans. However, about 66% of the plutonium from a bomb explosion is formed by the neutron capture of 238 U; this plutonium is not converted by the bomb into a high fired oxide, as it is formed more slowly. This formed plutonium is more soluble and more harmful as fallout. [9]
The uranium and plutonium are separated in turn in a series of complex chemical operations. The uranium becomes uranyl nitrate and the plutonium will be converted into plutonium oxide. The latter is used to produce fresh fuel called MOX – mixed oxides of uranium and plutonium, which can be used as fuel in nuclear reactors. [5]
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 ]
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 ...
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)
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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.