I've read that depleted uranium is six times as dense as lead. It would be nifty to have a chunk of it, that is if it's not radioactive.The US military uses it for missile nosecones and whatnot, so it can't be very dangerous.Is this a controlled material? If not then does anyone know where I can get a small piece?Thanks for your help.

From: "Density - Depleted uranium is 1.7 times heavier than lead, and 2.4 times heavier than steel. "Something that I didn't know:"Depleted uranium burns. It is something like magnesium in this regard. If you heat uranium up in an oxygen environment (normal air), it will ignite and burn with an extremely intense flame. Once inside the target, burning uranium is another part of the bomb's destructive power."From: "Depleted uranium is a heavy metal that is also slightly radioactive"and give further information about the effects and the human body.From: is regulated as a radioactive substance by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Check this out:Tale of the Radioactive Boy Scout

Where to get depleted uranium?

Apr 20, 2005 69 Replies

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Tim Williams 21 years ago

Nah, actually thorium has the highest melting point of any oxide. I forget what it is offhand, something like 3000 or 3200°C?

Ceria may've replaced it nowadays...that wouldn't be suprising. I'd think something like zirconia or magnesia would be cheaper while still retaining the high melting point, though. Must be the emission spectrum of the rare earths that they need.

Tim

-- "California is the breakfast state: fruits, nuts and flakes." Website:

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Gilbert 21 years ago

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Ned Simmons 21 years ago

Apparently a mixture of thorium and cerium oxides.

Ned Simmons

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Todd Rich 21 years ago

Admittedly, this is from my memories of the radiation lab durring high school chemistry class, but I believe we were told it was from an isotope of cesium. Todd (Yeah, I noticed over in a.c.b that you were on panix a day or two ago)

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Todd Rich 21 years ago

In rec.crafts.metalworking Ned Simmons wrote: (snip)

Shows how much my memory has degraded since high school. At least it was one that sounded similar. Todd

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alvinj 21 years ago

None of the naturally occurring Ce's are shown to have radiation. Ce136 0.19% Ce138 0.26% Ce140 88.47% Ce142 11.08%

Th232 100% shows a half-life of 1.39x10^10 years, alpha and gamma

ThO2 3050-C ;) CeO2 2600-C ZrO2 2700-C MgO 2800-C BeO 2585-C while still retaining the high melting point, though. Must be

Alvin in AZ (libertarian and librarian;)

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Digby Millikan 21 years ago

Depleted uranium is radioactive and anyone uncovering a shell made from it gets radioactive poisoning, bad stuff...

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Vaughn 21 years ago

False nonsense.

Vaughn

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Todd Rich 21 years ago

Depleted uranium is a mild alpha emitter. Your skin will stop the alpha particles. Breathing in particles of DU is a different matter, but just picking one up is not likely to cause a problem.

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Diamond Jim 21 years ago

Depleted uranium is used as counterweights in the control system of many aircraft. It is usually re-cycled when aircraft are junked. I also saw a pair of DU penatraters from some tank rounds at an Army Surplus store, but they wanted a young fortune for them. Far more than the metal content was worth.

What in the world do you want to do with it any way? Its difficult to machine, very hard, also its pyrophoric. Meaning the hot metal shavings have a tendence to burn when exposed to the O2 in the air. Breathing the fumes from this can be deadly, as others have mentioned DU gives off alpha radiation, which is relatively safe, until it gets inside your lungs.

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