It is not found naturally but can be produced from thorium. Another isotope of uranium that is fissile is uranium-233. Uranium-238 can be converted to a fissile substance called plutonium-239, in a nuclear reactor, and then used for fission. During this process, large amounts of energy are released, typically in the form of heat.Īs uranium-235 is so rare in nature, uranium has to go through a process called enrichment so that enough uranium-235 is present to use as a fuel for nuclear energy. These neutrons can then be absorbed by other uranium-235 particles, causing further fission, and a nuclear chain reaction occurs. When a uranium-235 particle is bombarded with neutrons, most of the time, it divides into two smaller particles and releases nuclear energy and more neutrons. This means it is able to undergo nuclear fission, a process used to create energy by the splitting of an atom nucleus. While far less common, the uranium isotope uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring fissile material. During the decay processes, a series of new substances are formed including radium and radon, alpha and beta particles, and gamma radiation (see Google Arts and Culture: Hot Rocks). These metals decay very slowly eventually to form lead. More than 99% of natural uranium exists in a form (isotope) called uranium-238 while more than 99% of natural thorium exists as thorium-232. They break down in a process called radioactive decay. ![]() Thorium is slowly attacked by water but, except for hydrochloric acid, does not dissolve readily in most common acids. Uranium can form compounds with many of the metals it reacts with hydrochloric and nitric acids, but other acids attack the element very slowly. Thorium is much more abundant than uranium in rocks from the Earth's crust it is found in small amounts in most rocks and soils. They are both malleable (can be pressed into shape) and ductile (can be beaten and drawn into a wire) and are very reactive and so cannot be found in the environment in their elemental forms. Uranium and thorium are both silvery white-grey radioactive metals that corrode to black oxide in air. Australian governments have introduced laws and regulations that govern the mining of uranium and its sale to other countries that take into account international safeguards and seek to balance the interests of the environment, Indigenous Australians, regional communities and the mining industry. Concerns about the safety of nuclear power and storage of nuclear waste, and a growing international stockpile of nuclear weapons, have sparked much discussion about Australia's role in supplying fuel for the nuclear industry. The mining of uranium has been a hot topic in Australia since the 1970s. ![]() Australia has significant resources of both uranium and thorium within the rocks that make up the Australian continent. The energy generated by the natural breakdown of radioactive elements is immense and can be used in nuclear reactors. ![]() Uranium and thorium are naturally occurring, radioactive heavy metals with unusual properties.
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