Natural uranium is 0.7% U-235 and the rest is U-238. For nuclear reactor you need enriched uranium with higher percentage of U-235. But what to do with U-238 if it’s useless as reactor fuel, as a nuclear weapon, and still radioactive to use it as regular material.
In: Physics
The left-over U-238 becomes known as Depleted Uranium, and is used in weapons manufacturing for Armor-penetrating rounds, and as armor plating.
DU ammunition is pyrophoric on impact and is self-sharpening, making it useful for setting off ammunition in the target.
It can also be used in nuclear weapons as a tamper.
It also has some civilian uses because of it’s high density.
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