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plutonium
plutonium
plutonium (symbol Pu) Silver-white radioactive metallic element of the
actinide series. It was first synthesized in 1940 by US nuclear chemist Glenn Seaborg (1912–99) and associates at the University of California at Berkeley by deuteron (heavy hydrogen) bombardment of
uranium. It is found naturally in small amounts in uranium ores. Pu
239 (half-life 2.44 × 10
4 years) is made in large quantities in breeder reactors; it is a fissile element used in
nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Its production is closely monitored to prevent the illegal spread of such weapons. The element is very toxic and absorbed by bone, making it a dangerous radiological hazard. Properties: at.no. 94; r.d. 19.84; m.p. 641°C (1186°F); b.p. 3232°C (5850°F); most stable isotope Pu
244 (half-life 7.6×10
7 years). See also
transuranic elements
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Plutonium: rising terror threat.(FEATURES)(PLANET)
Newspaper article from: The Christian Science Monitor; 10/7/2004; 700+ words
; ...televised debate. So why is the US moving plutonium from military to less secure civilian...programs that teach other nations how to use plutonium in nuclear power plants after a quarter...watch for unmarked white trucks carrying plutonium-based fuel to French nuclear power...
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Plutonium-an Element Never at Equilibrium
Magazine article from: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions; 7/1/2008; ; 700+ words
; ...from the α-particle decay of plutonium damages its crystal lattice and transmutes plutonium into other elements over time (principally...causes significant volume expansion of pure plutonium and contraction of face-centered-cubic...
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Plutonium: the disposal decision.
Magazine article from: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; 3/1/1997; ; 700+ words
; ...up to 50 metric tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium (essentially, plutonium 239) into forms that would make it less useful...and Russia work together to make surplus weapons plutonium less attractive for weapons use? Energy Secretary...
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Plutonium protest: environmentalists believe shipping plutonium is a timebomb waiting to explode.(News Feature)
Magazine article from: Chemistry and Industry; 10/18/2004; ; 700+ words
; The shipment of enough weaponsgrade plutonium across the Atlantic ocean to make about...The aim is to transport stockpiled plutonium to plants where it can be converted into...as Greenpeace want to see stockpiled plutonium put out of harm's way, but they are...
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PLUTONIUM AND THE U.S. MIXED OXIDE FUEL FACILITY:MATTHEW BUNN
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 7/26/2006; 700+ words
; ...Russia should do with the tens of tons of plutonium no longer needed for their nuclear weapons...Management and Disposition of Excess Weapons Plutonium, issued in two volumes in 1994 and 1995...principal staffer for the interagency plutonium disposition working group and for the...
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Plutonium: A reactive nuclear metal
Magazine article from: JOM; 9/1/2003; ; 700+ words
; ...coincident with a recent topical conference on plutonium (Pu Futures-The Science 2003), we...this issue to the materials science of plutonium (a reactive nuclear metal!). Former...introduction and overview of the metallurgy of plutonium. The next article, by J.C. Martz...
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Plutonium Recovery Scheme Fuels Debate Over A-Weapons Plant
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 7/29/1990; ; 700+ words
; ...Flats weapons plant will process more plutonium, not less. In the vision of Colorado...all its nuclear weapons tomorrow, the plutonium that sets off the chain reaction of nuclear...do that in the future, or to continue plutonium processing until then, is with something...
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 "Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, WA)")
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PLUTONIUM MAY GO TO CIVILIAN NUCLEAR PLANTS.(News)
Newspaper article from: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, WA); 11/22/1996; 700+ words
; ...will almost certainly recommend that plutonium from dismantled atomic bombs be used...establishment that has kept weapons-grade plutonium out of the civilian side to reduce the...States and Russia have large stocks of plutonium on hand. Administration officials say...
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Plutonium on the Loose
Newspaper article from: The Washington Post; 11/28/1993; ; 700+ words
; ...there is nothing more more dangerous than Plutonium. In its various forms, it can fuel...supposed unsuitability of reactor-grade plutonium for weapons use kept a thin wall between...technical doubt that reactor-grade plutonium makes a perfectly good bomb. The problems...
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DISARMAMENT: PLUTONIUM MOUNTAIN GROWS UNDER START TREATY PROCESS
News Wire article from: Inter Press Service English News Wire; 1/13/1996; ; 700+ words
; ...treaty is leaving both sides with more plutonium than they know what to do with. In line...going to plan, the volumes of unwanted plutonium awaiting reprocessing or safe storage...average of around three kilograms of plutonium and 15 kilograms of highly enriched uranium...
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Plutonium (revised)
Book article from: Chemical Elements: From Carbon to Krypton
PLUTONIUM (REVISED) Note: This article, originally...2006 for the eBook edition. Overview Plutonium is a synthetic (artificial) element...in the smallest imaginable amounts. Plutonium was first prepared artificially by a...
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plutonium
Book article from: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
plutonium , radioactive chemical element; symbol...valence +3, +4, +5, or +6. Plutonium is a silver-gray radioactive metal...halogens, carbon, nitrogen, and silicon. Plutonium, the second transuranium element , was...
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Weapon-Grade Plutonium and Uranium, Tracking
Encyclopedia entry from: Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security
Weapon-Grade Plutonium and Uranium, Tracking █...or "bomb-grade") uranium or plutonium is any alloy or oxide compound that...grade materials (or, in the case of plutonium, dilute materials that could be refined...
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Plutonium
Book article from: Chemistry: Foundations and Applications
Plutonium melting point: 640 ° C boiling...2 + , PuO 2 2+ , PuO 5 3 − Plutonium was discovered by Glenn Seaborg, Edwin...World War II, although the existence of plutonium had been revealed to the world earlier...
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Weapon–grade Plutonium and Uranium, Tracking
Encyclopedia entry from: The Gale Encyclopedia of Science
Weapon – grade Plutonium and Uranium, Tracking Definition...grade ” ) uranium or plutonium is any alloy or oxide compound that...grade materials (or, in the case of plutonium, dilute materials that could be...
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