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Can a nuclear bomb be made from reactor grade uranium?

Can a nuclear bomb be made from reactor grade uranium?

HEU produced for weapons (“weapon-grade” uranium) is typically enriched to 90 percent uranium-235 or greater, but all HEU can be used to make nuclear weapons. Without strong regulations in place, these dual-use facilities pose major risks of nuclear terrorism.

Is uranium better than plutonium?

Plutonium-239, the isotope found in the spent MOX fuel, is much more radioactive than the depleted Uranium-238 in the fuel. Plutonium emits alpha radiation, a highly ionizing form of radiation, rather than beta or gamma radiation.

Is plutonium man made?

Plutonium is considered a man-made element, although scientists have found trace amounts of naturally occurring plutonium produced under highly unusual geologic circumstances. The most common radioisotopes. For example, uranium has thirty-seven different isotopes, including uranium-235 and uranium-238.

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What is the most common element used in nuclear weapons?

While a number of elements are fissionable (meaning they can undergo fission), only a few are used in nuclear weapons. Most common are the isotopes uranium-235 and plutonium-239 (reminder: isotopes are atoms of the same element that differ only in their number of neutrons).

How are fissile isotopes used in nuclear weapons?

Only fissile isotopes of certain elements have the potential for use in nuclear weapons. For such use, the concentration of fissile isotopes uranium-235 and plutonium-239 in the element used must be sufficiently high. Uranium from natural sources is enriched by isotope separation, and plutonium is produced in a suitable nuclear reactor .

Can spent nuclear fuel be used to make a nuclear weapon?

Plutonium recovered from LWR spent fuel, while not weapons grade, can be used to produce nuclear weapons at all levels of sophistication, though in simple designs it may produce only a fizzle yield. Weapons made with reactor-grade plutonium would require special cooling to keep them in storage and ready for use.

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How do plutonium-based nuclear weapons work?

Plutonium-based nuclear weapons only work as implosion weapons, with more sophisticated weapons using less plutonium. The Union of Concerned Scientists’ Preventing Nuclear Terrorism Project seeks to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons and the fissile materials—plutonium or highly enriched uranium (HEU)—needed to make them.