Advantages and disadvantages of uranium

Answer 1

Some disadvantages:

- Uranium is a toxic and radioactive element

Some advantages:

- Uranium is a very important source of energy without any greenhouse

effect; also some countries don't have coal, oil or methane but have

uranium.

Answer 2

Uranium has two notable properties:

Uranium-235, which makes up about 0.7% of naturally occurring uranium, is the only naturally occurring fissile isotope.

Uranium is relatively abundant in the Earth's crust -- of the 10 densest naturally occurring elements, Uranium is the most abundant.

fissile

Uranium-235 is unstable and will decay.

This is both the primary advantage and disadvantage. The decay's energy can be captured and used to produce electric energy without directly emitting greenhouse gases. Per weight, it can produce a larger amount of energy compared with other carbon-based sources. However, without proper shielding, the decay products can cause radiation poisoning. As the radiation requires a large facility to shield, it becomes efficient to build large reactors to recoup the costs of shielding the radiation.

Furthermore, Uranium must be mined and refined as the usable fraction is only a small part of the Uranium ore. So this requires a lot of work and energy. Also, in sufficient quantities the decay runs out of control and can explode (atomic bomb). It is non-renewable, but there should be sufficient quantities available for use for the foreseeable future.

By 'heaviest naturally occurring element' it is meant that it has the most protons, neutrons and electrons. It forms about one part in 250,000 of the Earth's crust. Refined Uranium produces a lot of heat and this can be converted into electrical energy by heating water or other liquids and so run generators to power cities, nuclear ships and submarines. It also is used to power machinery such as spacecraft for long periods of time allowing us to both explore and photograph other planets. About 99% of natural Uranium is in the fairly stable isotope U-238 and about only 1% is in the highly radiating form of U-235 that is used as a nuclear fuel in power stations and as a nuclear explosive in nuclear weapons. Like all forms of power, it can be used to advance mankind, or alternatively to dominate and destroy. Its use depends on the motivation of the user.

Some nuclear power is derived from the far more common naturally occurring Uranium-238 ("DU") and Thorium-232 isotopes, but currently the only practical way to extract the nuclear energy from those isotopes requires Uranium-235 to trigger the reaction.

Density

Uranium is relatively abundant in the Earth's crust -- of the 10 densest naturally occurring elements, uranium is the most abundant -- slightly more abundant than tungsten and tantalum; far more abundant than Mercury, gold and platinum.

Large amounts of uranium are produced as a waste product when mining for radium for glow-in-the-dark paint.

The density of uranium partially comes from the fact that

uranium is has the highest Atomic Mass of all naturally occurring elements.

(tungsten, gold, and platinum are denser in bulk, but have lower mass per atom).

This high density and relatively low cost lead to several applications:

• high-density DU penetrator bullets designed to punch through heavy armor
• DU shielding in containers for storing highly radioactive elements such as radium.
• high-density DU tank armor
• electron-dense stains in transmission electron microscopy
• high-energy X-ray machines often have an X-ray target made out of Uranium

The main disadvantage of uranium in these applications is that inhaled uranium dust or ingested food contaminated with uranium is converted to uranyl ions, which is toxic and tends to bioaccumulate in bones and other parts of the body.

Answer 3

Pros, it can provide energy without creating CO2 or other undesirable combustion products that come from burning fossil fuels.

Cons, the spent fuel contains dangerous radioactive material that must be handled and stored carefully, and must not get into the evironment

Answer 4

Applications of uranium:

- nuclear fuel for nuclear power reactors

1. Uranium is an alternative to fossil fuels, especially for countries without reserves of coal, petrol, methane.

2. Uranium don't contribute to global warming.

3. Uranium don't release carbon dioxide.

4. In the future uranium can be extracted from the sea water.

- explosive for nuclear weapons

- material for armors and projectiles

- catalyst

- additive for glass and ceramics (to obtain beautiful green or yellow colors)

- toner in Photography

- mordant for textiles

- additive for the preparation of biological samples for electron microscopy

- shielding material (depleted uranium)

- ballast (counter weights)

- and other minor applications

Disadvantages of uranium:

1. Uranium is a possible polluting agent of the natural environment.

2. Uranium is a toxic and a radioactive chemical element.

3. Uranium release radium and radon.

4. Radioactive wastes are dangerous and need to be isolated.

Answer 5

Applications of uranium:

- nuclear fuel for nuclear power reactors

- explosive for nuclear weapons

- material for armors and projectiles

- catalyst

- additive for glasses and ceramics (to obtain beautiful green colors)

- toner in photography

- mordant for textiles

- shielding material (depleted uranium)

- ballast

- and other minor applications

Disadvantages: uranium is toxic and radioactive.

Answer 6

Pros: Nuclear Fission releases immense amounts of energy, and this energy can be used efficiently to power homes, etc...

The production of nuclear energy does not release any immediate pollutants into the atmosphere.

Cons: However, the radioactive waste is not something to tamper with. It is highly toxic, and scientists have yet to discover produce which can be used to properly dispose of the waste (ie: detoxify it, make it...vanish?). The best we can do is store the waste in massively guarded metal crates underground for approximately 200 years before the toxicity levels decrease.

Nuclear meltdowns can release extremely large volumes of radiation into the surrounding environment, which can then cause mutations in unborn babies, brain damage, severe hemorrhaging, blindness, and just about any other type of cancer including leukemia (Blood cancer).

Answer 7

Applications of uranium:

- nuclear fuel for nuclear power reactors

1. Uranium is an alternative to fossil fuels, especially for countries without reserves of coal, petrol, methane.

2. Uranium don't contribute to global warming.

3. Uranium don't release carbon dioxide.

4. In the future uranium can be extracted from the sea water.

- explosive for nuclear weapons

- material for armors and projectiles

- catalyst

- additive for glass and ceramics (to obtain beautiful green or yellow colors)

- toner in photography

- mordant for textiles

- additive for the preparation of biological samples for electron microscopy

- shielding material (depleted uranium)

- ballast (counter weights)

- and other minor applications

Disadvantages of uranium:

1. Uranium is a possible polluting agent of the natural environment.

2. Uranium is a toxic and a radioactive chemical element.

3. Uranium release radium and radon.

4. Radioactive wastes are dangerous and need to be isolated and treated.

Answer 8

Applications of uranium:

- nuclear fuel for nuclear power reactors

- explosive for nuclear weapons

- material for armors and projectiles

- catalyst

- additive for glass and ceramics (to obtain beautiful green colors)

- toner in photography

- mordant for textiles

- shielding material (depleted uranium)

- ballast

- and other minor applications

Disadvantages of uranium:

1. Uranium is a possible polluting agent of the natural environment.

2. Uranium is a toxic and radioactive chemical element.

3. Uranium release radium and radon.

Answer 9

it has a high energy and dose not contribute to global warming but does create pollution and is very toxic