Uranium is a very heavy (dense) metal which can be used as an abundant source of concentrated energy.
It occurs in most rocks in concentrations of 2 to 4 parts per million and is as common in the Earth’s crust as tin, tungsten and molybdenum. It occurs in seawater, and could be recovered from the oceans if prices rose significantly. It was discovered in 1789 by Martin Klaproth, a German chemist, in the mineral called pitchblende. It was named after the planet Uranus, which had been discovered eight years earlier. Uranium was apparently formed in super novae about 6.6 billion years ago. While it is not common in the solar system, today its slow radioactive decay provides the main source of heat inside the earth, causing convection and continental drift. The high density of uranium means that it also finds uses in the keels of yachts and as counterweights for aircraft control surfaces (rudders and elevators), as well as for radiation shielding. Its melting point is 1132C. The chemical symbol for uranium is U.
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1 Uranium Oil And Gas (UOG) // Aug 7, 2007 at 10:56 am
[…] in 2005 and is based in Perth, Australia. Learn more about Uranium Mines in Australia, learn what Uranium is, read about Worldwide Uranium Deposits, study the Regulation of Uranium Mining and wonder at the […]
2 Australian Uranium // Oct 4, 2007 at 12:41 pm
[…] Uranium is a very heavy (dense) metal which can be used as an abundant source of concentrated energy. There are three Australian uranium mines mines currently operating: the Ranger mine in the Northern Territory and the Olympic Dam and Beverley mines in South Australia. Worldwide uranium deposits can be grouped into 14 major categories of deposit types based on the geological setting of the deposits (OECD/NEA & IAEA, 2000). Australian uranium deposits can be grouped into 6 of these categories. Following requests from the British and United States governments, systematic uranium exploration in Australia for uranium began in 1944. Regulation of Australia uranium mining: Current regulatory arrangements applying to the three uranium mines are stringent, complex, and vary between and within jurisdictions. […]
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