Plutonium

What is plutonium and where does it come from?

Plutonium is a man-made radioactive element created in nuclear reactors, primarily from uranium-238.

Does plutonium occur naturally in significant amounts?

No, plutonium doesn’t naturally occur in significant amounts because of its relatively short half-life on a geological scale. It is mostly created in nuclear reactors.

How is plutonium-239 (Pu-239) produced in a nuclear reactor?

Plutonium-239 is produced when uranium-238 absorbs a neutron, becoming uranium-239. Uranium-239 undergoes beta decay, becoming neptunium-239, which then decays into plutonium-239

Why is plutonium-239 valuable in nuclear reactors?

Plutonium-239 is highly fissionable, making it useful for sustaining nuclear chain reactions in reactors.

What role does plutonium-239 play in breeder reactors?

In breeder reactors, plutonium-239 is created from uranium-238. Breeder reactors produce more fissionable material than they consume.

What is the challenge with plutonium in nuclear waste?

Plutonium-239 has a long half-life (24,000 years), which makes it difficult to dispose of safely, requiring special facilities for long-term storage.