# Uranium Atomic number 92 Nuclear fuel

## Uranium Atomic number 92 Nuclear fuel

#### Uranium Atomic number 92 Nuclear fuel

Uranium is famous as a fuel for nuclear power generation. When the uranium nucleus split, tremendous energy is generated. This phenomenon is called "nuclear fission."
Uranium is called "the most dangerous metal," and handling uranium requires a high level of technology.

ウランの埋蔵量 Uranium reservesUranium reserves are estimated to be more abundant than precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum. Uranium deposits have been confirmed in Kazakhstan, Australia, and Canada. The reserves are dispersed in each continent.
ウランの生産 Uranium productionUranium is produced by refining Uraninite [ $UO_2$ ] and Autunite [ $Ca(UO_2)_2(PO_4)_2·10–12H_2O$ ].
ウランとアクチニド Uranium and ActinideUranium is a member of the actinide series in the periodic table. The actinide series contains 15 atoms with atomic numbers 89 actinium to 103 lawrencium.
Among the actinides, atomic number 90 thorium, atomic number 91 protoactinium, and atomic number 92 uranium are naturally-occurring atoms.
Atomic number 93 neptunium and later are man-made atoms and appear through nuclear fusion.
Instead of actinides, they are sometimes called actinoids.

##### Uranium Atomic Number 92 Reference
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ウランの同位体 Uranium RadioisotopesUranium has many isotopes. Uranium-235 and Uranium-238 are both radioactive isotopes, and are well known as fuels for nuclear power generation.
Data Uranium-235 and Uranium-238

IsotopeUranium 235Uranium 238
Chemical formula$^{235}U$$^{238}U$
Atomic number9292
Proton number9292
Neutron number143146
Fissioneasy to occurhard to occur
Half-life0.7 billion years4.5 billion years
Abundance ratio0.7%99.3

ウランと核分裂 Uranium and FissionUranium has an atomic number of 92, so the number of protons in uranium is 92. The number of neutrons in uranium-235 is 235-92=143, and the number of neutrons in uranium 238 is 238-92=146. The nucleus of uranium contains many neutrons.
Uranium-235 can easily initiate nuclear fission by absorbing an extra neutron. For nuclear power generation, uranium-235 can be used. However, the abundance of uranium-238 is high and uranium-235 is low in the natural world.
Therefore, prior to nuclear power generation, the concentration of uranium-235 is increased. This process is called uranium enrichment.

## History of Uranium

Year事件
1789Klaproth discovered uranium
1939Manhattan Project

In 1789, the German scientist Martin Heinrich Klaproth discovered uranium. He named it uranium after Uranus, the Greek god of the sky. As a natural resource, uranium was the largest atomic weight atom.
In 1896, Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity. The name Becquerel became the unit of radioactivity.
In 1939, the Manhattan Project was launched to study the use of uranium in nuclear bombs.

## Uranium Atomic Number 92 Reference

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