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: Although traces can be found in nature, all plutonium isotopes are of artificial origin. What Is Plutonium Used For? The most important uses of plutonium depend on two of its properties. First, the emitted radiation generates a lot of heat, thermal energy . In fact, plutonium emits so much heat that the metal feels warm when touched. If a large piece of plutonium is placed in the water, the heat released can make the water boil. Plutonium provides electrical energy in space probes and space vehicles. The ability of plutonium to generate heat makes it an ideal material for use in thermoelectric generator applications. A thermoelectric generator is a device that converts heat into electricity . Generating electricity through such a generator is not practical on a large scale.