Depleted is called uranium, consisting primarily of the isotope U-238. It was first manufactured in 1940 in the United States. This material is a by-product of the enrichment of natural uranium in the manufacture of nuclear fuel and ammunition.
How is it made
How to make depleted uranium? For specialized enterprises this is not a problem. Nuclear reactors and plants use natural U-235. Enrich such uranium by mass separation of isotopes. In this case, the main part of U-235 and U-234 is removed from the material. As a result, an op-amp remains, the radioactivity of which is not too high. In this indicator, it is even inferior to uranium ore, which Soviet geologists once carried in their backpacks.
Depleted Uranium: Application
Shelter can be used both for peaceful purposes and for the production of ammunition. He deserved his popularity primarily because of the high density (19.1 g / cm 3 ). Very often it is used, for example, as a counterbalance in rockets and aircraft. Another area in which this material has found wide application is medicine. In this case, OS is used mainly for the production of radiation therapy devices. This material is also used as radiation protection, for example, in radiography equipment.
In the military industry, uranium is most often used for the manufacture of sheets of armor. It is also used in the manufacture of ammunition and even nuclear warheads. In such a quality, it was first used by the American military. US engineers have guessed to replace expensive tungsten with this metal in the manufacture of BPS cores. The fact is that the density of depleted uranium is very close to the latter. At the same time, cores made from it are three times cheaper than tungsten.
Features of the use of ammunition with lunch uranium
One of the advantages of op-amps as an ammunition core is that it is capable of self-igniting upon impact. At the same time, small fragments light up in the air and ignite combustible materials inside the armored objects or cause an explosion of ammunition.
In addition, depleted uranium ammunition tends to self-sharpen. Therefore, in extreme conditions appropriate to the shot, such shells can spontaneously acquire a shape that allows them to pass through any obstacles with minimal energy loss.
Where were such ammunition used?
Depleted uranium shells were used by the US military in several wars. They were first used in Iraq in 1991. At that time, the US Army spent about 14 thousand tank shells of this type. By and large, the United States used about 300 tons of op-amp at that time.
At the beginning of the 21st century, NATO used depleted uranium shells in the war against Yugoslavia. Then it led to a major international scandal. The public became aware that many military personnel developed cancerous diseases.
Claims for diseases caused by weapons of this kind were sent to the US government by soldiers after Iraq. However, not one of them was satisfied then. The Government referred to the fact that there was no direct evidence of the harmful effects of OS on the human body.
In January 2001, a special UN commission examined 11 sites that were hit by ammunition with such rods. At the same time, 8 of them were infected. Moreover, according to some experts, the water in Kosovo was absolutely unsuitable for consumption. The decontamination of the surveyed area could cost several billion dollars.
Unfortunately, no such studies have been conducted in Iraq. But information about the sick after firing citizens of this country is also available. For example, before the start of the conflict in the city of Basra, only 34 people died of cancer, after it - 644.
Armor Plates
Shelter can also be used to make tank armor, thanks to its high density. Most often, an intermediate layer is made from it between two steel sheets. Depleted uranium armor is used, for example, on the M1A2 and M1A1HA Abrams tanks. The latter were modernized after 1998. This technique contains depleted uranium liners in front of the hull and turret.
Specifications. Possible effects on the human body
Despite the fact that with regard to radioactivity, depleted uranium is still considered not too dangerous (because, among other things, it has a long half-life), it seems that it can still have a harmful effect on the human body. UN studies say this more than eloquently.
Why, after shelling with such shells, the number of cancer patients is growing, the Russian scientist Yablokov managed to find out. It was clear to this researcher from the very beginning that it was most likely not a matter of radiation. In the end, he managed to find out that depleted uranium shells were able to leave behind the so-called ceramic aerosol. Getting into the lungs of a person, it is this substance that penetrates into other tissues and organs, gradually begins to accumulate in the liver and kidneys, which leads to the development of cancer.
In mid-January 2001, after studies conducted in Kosovo, the UN secretariat sent warnings about the dangers of depleted uranium to the human body to all missions. However, the Pentagon still continues to insist on the safety of the substance, citing data from the World Health Organization. And, of course, continues to use weapons based on it.
How radiation can occur
Uranium is always present in the environment. Even in the human body there is a certain amount (about 90 mcg). In contact with ammunition containing DU, despite their relative safety in this regard, a person can still receive a small amount of radiation. This usually happens in the following cases:
In direct contact or proximity to the op-amp. Irradiation can, for example, occur while working in an ammunition depot, when they are in the same machine, in contact with debris formed after the explosion, etc. The depleted uranium core is in the case. However, sometimes the integrity of the latter may be violated. In this case, the risk of exposure increases significantly.
Ingestion as a result of ingestion or inhalation of OS particles.
Directly through the blood. This usually happens when injured as a result of contact with shells or armor made of OS.
Currently, WHO has developed regulations for uranium. Most of them can be applied to DT. So, 0.6 µg per kilogram of a person’s weight is considered a permissible daily dose of uranium in the mouth. The limiting norms of ionizing radiation are 1 m3v per year for ordinary citizens and 20 m3v for five years for people working in a radiation environment (on average).
Recycling problem
At the moment, huge reserves of OS are accumulated in the world. At the same time, industrial technology for its full utilization has not yet been developed. In such circumstances, European companies prefer to operate according to a very simple scheme. Formally, they simply send OU to Russia for processing. Meanwhile, such an operation is considered even more expensive than the cost of disposal of this substance and its storage. The benefit for companies in this case lies in the fact that after additional treatment in Europe only 10% of the raw materials imported into Russia are returned. 90% remains in our country.
According to the law, it is not possible to store DT from other countries in Russia. In order to circumvent it, foreign depleted uranium is simply transferred to federal ownership. At present, about 800 thousand tons of such waste has been accumulated in Russia. At the same time, 125 thousand tons were brought from Europe.
In the United States, OS is considered as a radioactive waste. In Russia, depleted uranium is defined as a valuable energy source, excellent for fast neuron reactors.