Can neptunium be used in nuclear power plants?

Since then, most neptunium has been and still is produced by neutron irradiation of uranium in nuclear reactors. Neptunium has also been used in detectors of high-energy neutrons. The longest-lived isotope of neptunium, neptunium-237, is a by-product of nuclear reactors and plutonium production.

Can plutonium be used in a reactor?

Like uranium, plutonium can also be used to fuel nuclear power plants, as is done in a few countries. Currently, the U.S. does not use plutonium fuel in its power reactors. Nuclear reactors that produce commercial power in the United States today create plutonium through the irradiation of uranium fuel.

Is neptunium heavier than uranium?

Neptunium was the first transuranium element, with an atomic mass heavier than uranium, once thought to be the heaviest element. It was once believed that neptunium could only be produced artificially, but it’s since been discovered in trace amounts in uranium ores, where its presence can be attributed to decay.

Why is neptunium important?

Neptunium remains an important element to study because it is produced by nuclear reactions of uranium and plutonium and can last as harmful radioactive waste for millions of years, according to a 2003 report by the Pacific Northwest Nuclear Laboratory.

Why is uranium 235 used for a nuclear bomb instead of uranium-238?

Uranium 235 is the only natural nucleus that can easily undergo fission. Highly sought-after, it can be used as a fuel in nuclear reactors and as an explosive in atomic bombs. Fission occurs comparatively rarely, and even under bombardment with energetic neutrons the probability of fission remains very low.

Is neptunium-239 fissile?

The mechanism of generation of plutonium involves several stages. By capturing a neutron, uranium-238 becomes uranium-239 that rapidly changes by beta radiation into neptunium-239. This radionuclide is fissile, like uranium-235.