Title: Plutonium - World Nuclear Association
Headings: Plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium and nuclear power
Plutonium and americium
Plutonium-238
Plutonium and weapons
Resources of plutonium
Toxicity and health effects
Notes & references
Notes
References
General sources
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Content: Plutonium can also be used in fast neutron reactors, where a much higher proportion of Pu-239 fissions and in fact all the plutonium isotopes fission, and so function as a fuel. As with uranium, the energy potential of plutonium is more fully realized in a fast reactor. Four of the six 'Generation IV' reactor designs currently under development are fast neutron reactors and will thus utilize plutonium in some way (see page on Generation IV Nuclear Reactors ). In these, plutonium production will take place in the core, where burn-up is high and the proportion of plutonium isotopes other than Pu-239 will remain high. Developments under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) make it very likely that the some military plutonium will be used in fast reactors in the USA (see page on International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation ). In commercial power plants and research applications, plutonium generally exists as plutonium oxide (PuO 2 ), a stable ceramic material with an extremely low solubility in water and with a high melting point (2,390 ºC). In pure form plutonium exists in six allotropic forms or crystal structure – more than any other element. As temperature changes, it switches forms – each has significantly different mechanical and electrical properties. One is nearly twice the density of lead (19.8 g/cm 3 ). It melts at 640°C into a very corrosive liquid.