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Properties and Occurrence Natural Uranium

Uranium exists naturally and has various isotopes including uranium-238, uranium-235, and uranium-234. It is a radioactive heavy metal that occurs in small amounts in soil, rock, and water. The three main uranium decay chains are the uranium-238 series, the uranium-235 series, and the thorium-232 series. Depleted uranium is a byproduct of uranium enrichment and contains over 99% uranium-238. Exposure to depleted uranium can occur through inhalation of contaminated dust, ingestion of contaminated food or water, or penetration of fragments through wounds.

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106 views6 pages

Properties and Occurrence Natural Uranium

Uranium exists naturally and has various isotopes including uranium-238, uranium-235, and uranium-234. It is a radioactive heavy metal that occurs in small amounts in soil, rock, and water. The three main uranium decay chains are the uranium-238 series, the uranium-235 series, and the thorium-232 series. Depleted uranium is a byproduct of uranium enrichment and contains over 99% uranium-238. Exposure to depleted uranium can occur through inhalation of contaminated dust, ingestion of contaminated food or water, or penetration of fragments through wounds.

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White Heart
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Dr.

Nada Farhan Kadhim/2019 Fourth class/ Health Physics

Uranium
All isotopes of uranium undergo the same chemical reactions
and possess identical physical characteristics, such as melting point
and boiling point. Natural uranium, enriched uranium and depleted
uranium (DU) vary only according to their isotopic composition.
Properties and occurrence natural uranium:
1. Discovered in 1789 by German chemist (Martin Klaproth) who
found uranium as part of the mineral called pitchblende.
2. It is a hard, ductile, silver-white, natural occurring metal.
3. It is Z= 92, atomic mass 238, 92 protons, 92 electrons.
4. It is the heaviest naturally occurring element.
5. It occurs with low concentrations in soil, rock, sea, drinking water
and food.
6. 90µgm (micrograms) of uranium exist in human body from
normal intakes of water.

Radiological properties:
1. Natural uranium consists of a mixture of 238U 235U and 234U.
2. All uranium isotopes are radioactive.
238
3. Abundances of U, 235U and 234U are (99.27%), (0.72%) and
(0.0054%) respectively.
238
4. U is the most abundant uranium isotope it's have the longest
half-life, and lowest specific activity.

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Dr. Nada Farhan Kadhim/2019 Fourth class/ Health Physics

3. Uranium isotopes:
a. Uranium-238:
It is the head of the uranium decay series of which U-234 is a
member, and it has abounds (99.27%) and half-life 4500 million
years. its Typical concentrations in soil is (1pCi/g).

b. Uranium-235:
235
U is the head of the actinium decay series with abounds (0.71%),
and half-life 710million years, its typical concentrations in soil is (1
pCi/g).

c. Uranium-234 :
With abounds (0.0059%), and half-life 244000 years.

Uranium decay chains

a. Uranium-238 series (23892U146):


1. It is the longest chain.
2. Begin with U-238 and ending with Pb-209.
3. It contains 16 isotopes all are solid except the radon gas (its half-
life is 3.8 days).
4. Radon gas represents the feature of this series.
5. Its atomic mass is calculated from this relation (4n+2) i.e. its
atomic mass divided by 4 and leaves a remainder 2. Where
n=59-51.

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Dr. Nada Farhan Kadhim/2019 Fourth class/ Health Physics

nuclide name decay mode half-life Energy (MeV)


238
U Uranium α 4.468·109 a 4.270
234
Th Thorium β− 24.10 d 0.273
234m
Pa Protactinium β− 99.84% 1.16 min 2.271
234
U Uranium II α 245500 y 4.859
230
Th Thorium α 75380 y 4.770
226
Ra Radium α 1602 y 4.871
222
Rn Radon α 3.8235 d 5.590
218
Po Polonium α 99.98% 3.10 min 6.115
−
214
Pb lead β− 26.8 min 1.024
214
Bi Bismuth β− 99.98% 19.9 min 3.272
214
Po Polonium α 0.1643 ms 7.883
210
Pb lead β− 22.3 a 0.064
210
Bi Bismuth β− 99.999% 5.013 d 1.426
210
Po Polonium α 138.376 d 5.407
206
Pb lead - stable -

b. Actinium series (U-235):


1. It is begin with 235U and ending with lead-207.
2. Consists of 12 isotopes.
3. All its elements are solid except Actinon-219 gas (t½ = 3.96s).
4. Actinon represents the feature of this series.
5. Its atomic mass is calculated from this relation (4n+3) i.e. its
atomic mass divided by 4 and leaves a remainder 3. Where n= 58-
51.

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Dr. Nada Farhan Kadhim/2019 Fourth class/ Health Physics

No. nuclide name decay mode half-life energy


1 235
U Uranium α 7.04·108 y 4.678
2 231
Th Thorium β− 25.52 h 0.391
3 231
Pa Protactinium α 32760 y 5.150
4 227 −
Ac Actinium β 98.62% 21.772 y 0.045
5 227
Th Thorium α 18.68 d 6.147
6 223
Fr Francium β− 99.994% 22.00 min 1.149
7 223
Ra Radium α 11.43 d 5.979
8 219
Rn Actinon α 3.96 s 6.946
9 215
Po Polonium α 1.781 ms 7.527
10 211
Pb lead β− 36.1 min 1.367
11 207
Tl Thallium β− 4.77 min 1.418
12 207
Pb lead _ stable _

c. Thorium series (Th-232):


Pure thorium is a silvery-white metal it is representing the
second radioisotope coming after uranium. Its atomic mass is 90, its
mass number is 232, its melting point is 1750°C, its poling point
4700°C, and its density is (11.72gm /cm3) it exists in very little
concentration in the nature.
Thorium series:
1. its starting with Th-232 and ending with stable Pb-208.
2. It consists of 13 isotopes all are solid except the Thoron gas
(220Rn) its half-life is (55.3 seconds).
3. Thoron gas represents the feature of this series.
4. Its atomic mass is calculated from this relation (4n) i.e. its atomic
mass divided by 4 and the remainder is zero. Where n= 58-52.
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Dr. Nada Farhan Kadhim/2019 Fourth class/ Health Physics

N0. Isotopes decay mode Halif_lifeT½


1 232
90Th142 Alpha 1.41 × 1010 y
2 228
88Ra200 Beta 5.7y
3 228
89Ac139 Beta 6.13h
4 228
90Th139 alpha 1.91y
5 224
88Ra136 alpha 3.64d
6 220
86Rn134 alpha 55.3sec
7 126
84Po132 Beta 0.15sec
8 216
85At131 alpha 3 × 10 −4 sec
9 212
82Pb130 Beta 10.64h
10 212
83Bi129 Beta 6.06m
11 212
84Po128 alpha 3 × 10 −7 sec
12 208
81Tl127 Beta 3.1m
13 208
82Pb126 - Stable

Depleted Uranium:
1. It's a by-product of the enrichment process of natural uranium to
make nuclear fuel. it remains after the removing of the enriched
fraction (235U) ,and the remaining of the heavy and low radioactive
isotope (238U ).
3. DU contains 99.8% 238U, 0.2% 235U and 0.0006% 234U.
4. DU is less radioactive than natural uranium by 60%.
5. It's extremely dense metal, about twice that of lead.
6. It has a high penetration power.
7. Burning spontaneously when in contact with air.

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Dr. Nada Farhan Kadhim/2019 Fourth class/ Health Physics

Pathways of exposure to DU or Uranium:


1. Inhalation:
a. When DU in the environment is re-suspended in the atmosphere
by wind or disturbance.
b. Accidental inhalation from; fire in DU storage facility, an aircraft
crash or the decontamination of vehicles from within or near
conflict areas.
2. Ingestion:
a. drinking water or food contaminated with DU.
3. Dermal contact:
a. DU could enter the circulatory system through open wounds or
from embedded depleted uranium fragments.

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