Editing Depleted uranium
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{{ | {{Era|Forerunner|Covenant|Human|UNSC|HCW|Post}} | ||
{{ | {{SeeWikipedia|Depleted uranium}} | ||
'''Depleted uranium''' (DU) is uranium primarily composed of the isotope uranium-238 (U-238). Natural uranium is about 99.27 percent U-238, 0.72 percent U-235, and 0.0055 percent U-234. Because U-235 is used for fission in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons, natural uranium is enriched in U-235 by separating the isotopes by mass. The byproduct of enrichment, called depleted uranium or DU, contains less than one third as much U-235 and U-234 as natural uranium, making it less radioactive due to the longer 4.5 billion year half-life of U-238. The external radiation dose from depleted uranium is about 60 percent of that from the same mass of natural uranium. Another less common source of depleted uranium is reprocessed spent nuclear reactor fuel, which can be distinguished from DU produced as a byproduct of uranium enrichment by the presence of U-236, produced in reactors. In the past, depleted uranium has been called Q-metal, depletalloy, and D-38, but those names are no longer used. | '''Depleted uranium''' (DU) is uranium primarily composed of the isotope uranium-238 (U-238). Natural uranium is about 99.27 percent U-238, 0.72 percent U-235, and 0.0055 percent U-234. Because U-235 is used for fission in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons, natural uranium is enriched in U-235 by separating the isotopes by mass. The byproduct of enrichment, called depleted uranium or DU, contains less than one third as much U-235 and U-234 as natural uranium, making it less radioactive due to the longer 4.5 billion year half-life of U-238. The external radiation dose from depleted uranium is about 60 percent of that from the same mass of natural uranium. Another less common source of depleted uranium is reprocessed spent nuclear reactor fuel, which can be distinguished from DU produced as a byproduct of uranium enrichment by the presence of U-236, produced in reactors. In the past, depleted uranium has been called Q-metal, depletalloy, and D-38, but those names are no longer used. | ||
== Usage == | ==Usage== | ||
Depleted uranium is used for a variety of purposes, thanks to its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3. Civilian uses include counterweights in aircraft, radiation shielding in medical radiation therapy and industrial radiography equipment, and containers used to transport radioactive materials. Military uses include defensive armor plates and armor-piercing projectiles. | Depleted uranium is used for a variety of purposes, thanks to its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3. Civilian uses include counterweights in aircraft, radiation shielding in medical radiation therapy and industrial radiography equipment, and containers used to transport radioactive materials. Military uses include defensive armor plates and armor-piercing projectiles. | ||
Depleted uranium is used in the ammunition of many [[ | Depleted uranium is used in the ammunition of many [[UNSC]] weapons. [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]] rounds, [[Armor Piercing Rounds]], the [[14.5 x 114mm]] [[APFSDS]] rounds of the [[Sniper Rifle System 99C-S2 Antimatériel|SRS99C-S2 AM]] and [[Sniper Rifle System 99D-S2 Antimatériel|SRS99D-S2 AM]] sniper rifles, the rounds shot by the [[M68 Gauss Cannon]], the [[110mm Rotary Cannon]]s on [[Longsword]]s, and the rounds shot by the chain-guns mounted on the [[Dropship 77-Troop Carrier Pelican|D77-TC]] and [[D77H-TCI Pelican Dropship|D77H-TCI]] Pelican dropships all use depleted uranium.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 40''</ref> Depleted Uranium is also used in the ammunition of the M41 ELAAGat, a vacuum-enabled version of the [[M41 Vulcan Light Anti-Aircraft Gun|M41 LAAG]] mounted on the [[Open Frame 92/Extra-Vehicular Activity|OF92/EVA]]. | ||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
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[[Category:Materials]] | [[Category:Materials]] | ||