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The most commonly used radioactive fuel is Plutonium (Pu) 238, which is alpha active and produces a useful amount of thermal energy, without the need for much shielding. This material is produced from Neptunium 237, which is separated out from spent reactor fuel. The Pu238 is assembled with a thermocouple array to produce a small amount of electricity, and is widely used in satellites if solar panels are not viable. Pu 238 has a half life of 87 years, so can power applications where the mission lasts a long duration.
Other materials have been used, amongst them Strontium 90, but Pu238 is now the favourite. Wikipedia has entries giving more information-see 'Nuclear Fuel' section 8
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∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoEvery element above a certain point is radioactive, like plutonium, radon, uranium, etc., but some isotopes of small elements can be radioactive as well. Like C14 which is used for carbon dating.
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∙ 14y agoUranium and plutonium
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∙ 14y agoUranium
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∙ 11y agoRadium
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Which radioactive element is used in nuclear reactors?
Usually Uranium 235 but sometimes Plutonium 239
A radioactive element often used in nuclear power stations?
Uranium 235 or Plutonium 239
Is nuclear fuel used to make electricity?
This is the purpose of nuclear power plants and is very successfully done, 104 reactors in the US for example.
What is a used fuel in nuclear power plants?
The used fuel in a nuclear power plant is the nuclear fuel being discharged from the nuclear reactor after being irradiated during reactor operation. It is usually composed of trans-uranium heavy elements, a wide variety of fission products (that resulted from the nuclear fission processes in the nuclear reactor) and products of radioactive decay (produced before and after fuel discharge from the nuclear reactor).
How does radioactive materials used to produce nuclear energy?
Nuclear energy is produced by fission of new fuel, which is only very slightly radioactive to start with (it is safe to handle unprotected). It becomes radioactive during the reactor's operation, and at the end of life the radioactivity of the fuel contributes some 5% or so of the output heat, the rest is due to fission directly. There are some uses for radioactive isotopes to produce electricity directly but these are only used in satellites for small instrument type supplies.
If uranium is not a foosil fuel then what is it?
Uranium is a radioactive element used to fuel nuclear reactors. It is a nuclear fuel.
What is a radioactive element used for fuel in nuclear power plant?
Radioactive elements used for fuel include Plutonium -239 Uranium-235 and uanium-233.
What element is used to fuel nuclear powerplants?
Normally Uranium but some other radioactive materials are occasionally used.
What element is used in nuclear fission and is radioactive?
Uranium
What is the definition of uranium?
Uranium is a solid metal, natural chemical element with 3 natural isotopes, radioactive, with the atomic number 92, used as fuel in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
What kind of element is uranium?
Uranium is a natural chemical element, metal, solid, toxic, radioactive, reactive, very dense, used as fuel in nuclear reactors, used in nuclear bombs, used in alloys for tankks armors, etc.
What metal is a radioactive nuclear fuel?
Uranium is the most used nuclear fuel. Plutonium can also be used, but it has to be separated from used uranium fuel
Which metal is used for radioactive nuclear fuel?
Uranium
Radioactive element used for nuclear energy?
One of the radioactive elements used for nuclear energy is 235U92, commonly stated as U-235.
What element is used in nuclear fission and is radioactive but is not uranium?
We can use plutonium in nuclear fission devices.
What element is used in nuclear fission and is radioactive poisonous and explosive?
We know that plutonium is radioactive, highly toxic and is fissionable (capable of use in a nuclear weapon).
Which radioactive material element is used in nuclear reactor in fukushima japan plant?
The fuel rods are of uranium dioxide, with the uranium enriched to about 5% U-235
