Title: What Is Plutonium? Characteristics of This Nuclear Fuel
Headings: What Is Plutonium?
What Is Plutonium?
What Is Plutonium Used For?
Role of Plutonium in Nuclear Reactors
Where Is Plutonium Found on Earth?
How Many Neutrons Does Plutonium Have?
Management of Recovered Plutonium in Nuclear Reactors
Health Hazard
Environmental Effects
References

Content: What Is Plutonium? Characteristics of This Nuclear Fuel
What Is Plutonium? Plutonium is a chemical element, usually of artificial origin, that is used as a nuclear fuel in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. The symbol of this chemical element is Pu and its atomic number is 94. It is an element that belongs to the series of actinide elements. Plutonium has 16 isotopes, all of them radioactive . The element is a silver metal and has 5 different crystalline structures. Chemically plutonium is a very active material. It can form compounds with all non-metallic elements, except noble gases. The metal dissolves in acids and reacts with water, although moderately compared to acids.