Depleted uranium

Depleted uranium is uranium remaining after enrichment, with a lower uranium-235 fraction than natural uranium. It is dense, weakly radioactive, and used in some industrial and military applications.

Uranium enrichment: A process that increases the proportion of uranium-235 in uranium. Depleted uranium is the uranium stream left over when enrichment raises uranium-235 in another stream.
Armor-piercing ammunition: Ammunition designed to penetrate armored targets. Some penetrators use depleted uranium because it is dense and can sharpen during impact.
Gulf War syndrome: A chronic multisymptom illness reported by some veterans of the 1990–1991 Gulf War. Debates about depleted uranium exposure form one part of wider investigations into veterans’ health.
Natural uranium: Uranium as found in nature, containing about 0.72% uranium-235 by mass. It provides the reference isotopic composition against which depletion is defined.
Uranium-235: A fissile uranium isotope that can sustain a nuclear chain reaction with slow neutrons. Its reduced fraction is the defining isotopic difference between depleted and natural uranium.
Tank armor: Protective plating designed to resist projectile impacts and other battlefield threats. Depleted uranium has been incorporated into armor on some military vehicles.
Internal contamination: Radioactive material entering the body through inhalation, ingestion, or wounds. Inhaled or ingested depleted uranium is more concerning than external exposure to intact metal.
Enriched uranium: Uranium processed to raise its uranium-235 fraction above that of natural uranium. It is the higher-uranium-235 product paired with depleted uranium in enrichment.
Uranium-238: The most abundant uranium isotope, which is fertile but not fissile with slow neutrons. It makes up most depleted uranium and contributes to its high density.
Radiation shielding: Materials and structures used to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation. Depleted uranium’s density makes it useful for shielding some forms of radiation.

Linked from 6 pages