Uranium Glass and uses

What is uranium glass?

* Uranium glass is a glass containing small amount of uranium as a coloring agent and
* it emits the most sensitive beautiful green flourescence to human eyes under
* ultraviole tlight. This is because uranium atoms excited by absorbing energies of
* ultraviolet light emit green light to human eyes when they return to the original states.
* Therefore, uranium glass shines more beautifully under the direct sun light.

Uses

Uranium is of great importance as a nuclear fuel. 238U can be converted into fissionable plutonium by the following reactions: 238U(n, gamma) --> 239U --(beta)--> 239Np --(beta)--> 239Pu. This nuclear conversion can be brought about in breeder reactors where it is possible to produce more new fissionable material than the fissionable material used in maintaining the chain reaction.

235U is of even greater importance because it is the key to utilizing uranium. 235U, while occuring in natural uranium to the extent of only 0.71%, is so fissionable with slow neutrons that a self-sustaining fission chain reaction can be made in a reactor constructed from natural uranium and a suitable moderator, such as heavy water or graphite, alone.

235U can be concentrated by gaseous diffusion and other physical proceses, if desired, and used directly as a nuclear fuel, instead of natural uranium, or used as an explosive.