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Author: Subject: Uranium
Pyrovus
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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 01:08
Uranium


Does uranium have any "legitimate" uses which can be used as a means of aquiring the element? I know it was once used as a pigment for colouring glass (makes a nice fluorescent green), but I'm pretty sure it's no longer used as such.
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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 02:54


I don't think you will have much luck, if any at all, of aquiring uranium in element form for civilian use in Australia. You could try www.unitednuclear.com where they sell uranium ore from time to time though I don't think they ship out to Australia.

I don't know if this is of much help but I have heard that the nitrate is used as a photographic toner unless that is no longer in use. Uranyl Acetate is also apparently used in analytical chemistry.

Edit: This could possibly be of a little help: Uranium Metal

[Edited on 1-3-2004 by ech310n]




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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 03:31


Er, doesn't australia have some very large uranium ore mines?

Ofcourse you're not going to get in there, but I'm sure there must be other places with the ore that are not economical enough to be explored.




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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 04:11
Uranite


Australia has the world's largest known uranite ore deposits. Over 60% of the globe's uranium ore is mined and exported from Australia.
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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 07:05


Does that mean Oz glows in the dark?;)
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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 10:12


Travel to Iraq and dig up some of all that depleted uranium ammunition lying around in the desert. Don't forget the radiation suit though...



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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 10:46


Prospecting is about the best way to get Uranium, if you live near a mine. Don't ever enter a Uranium mine, particularly if it is abandoned... but, if you can tell the various minerals apart, look around the outside of the mind for Uranium ore. Of course, if you need the Uranium as a reagent, you will no doubt have to process it further.
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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 11:59


Some mineralogy suppliers sell uranium ore.

In the UK, Rubbleshop auction various samples. Unfortuantely, all of the high grade ores fetch a high price.




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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 12:02


We have more Uranium ore than we'll ever find a use for in northern Sweden. If you're rich enough to afford the trip, I'm sure you could (provided you're willing to disabide the law) steal a lot without too much trouble.

Edit: Actually, we have lots of high grade ore not far from where i live, only about 100km. Mining it was stopped due to environmental concerns, so it's in a foresty area void of people. I'd imagine it would be an easy excercise to dig up a few tons. Processing it, however....


[Edited on 2004-3-1 by axehandle]




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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 12:54


Do you already do business with a lab chemical supplier? Try making an inquiry directly. I was able to buy uranyl nitrate from one supplier, sent by mail. Later I asked another of my suppliers about getting thorium nitrate, but they said that it would have to be sent by truck (expensive). I wonder if the first supplier who sent the uranium was breaking regulations or if thorium is considered more dangerous.

Of course I know that Australia is not the US, but you should still try making an inquiry. Nobody (nobody informed and intelligent, anyway) is going to be alarmed by you wanting a few grams of uranium compounds.




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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 15:27


I see Uranium rokcs from time to time on E-Bay. Usually they tell you what radiation count you get from the sample being sold also. I'm not sure if you will find many ads from your part of the world (or willing to ship there), though. You might wait until you see an ad and then contact the seller directly to see if they have other specimins they would be willing to ship.
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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 16:29


Oz glows in the dark because that's where the UK tested its atom bombs.
If you need to ask "does U have any legitimate uses" then presumably you dont have a legitimate use for it.
Here in the UK I would struggle to get hold of U or Th even though I work in a government owned lab. The law fails to recognise the difference between a static eliminator and Chernobyl.
On the other hand, even our government has realised that it cannot ban rocks. So I can buy pitchblende or uranite as a sample for my rock collection.
I'm not permitted to extract the uranium from it (Actually, I'm not sure; I might be) but I wouldn't want to for any of the scientific games I would want to play wih it.
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[*] posted on 1-3-2004 at 18:01


Unionised, would you like to disclose the locations where you obtain pitchblende, or related minerals? I was trying to find some myself here, but did not succeed - except for some insane prices which I am not willing to pay. Surely, industrial pitchblende ores got to be cheaper! A few grams is all I want...
U2U me if u prefer.




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[*] posted on 2-3-2004 at 22:55


Last days I had an unbeliebable luck! I bought a lot of unknown analytic chemicals from laboratories of the old Eastern German chemical industry (Leuna, Bitterfeld ect...). By German reunion this industry broke down and a lot of these old lab-chemicals 'circulate' untill now in much private hands. As a blindly quick-purchase (for 750,-- Euro) I got more than 100 different chemicals in old dustily bottles and what did my eyes see...??? 100g of uranyl acetate and a black paper safed bottle with two big warning stickers 'radioactively', containing 1kg (!!) of thorium nitrate. The lable is in Russian, it doesn't show, if the nitrate is water free, but I think so. I still can't believe! I didn't try to get such stuff from official lab-store, I never asked them, in German Merck-catalogue is only a notice that Swiss costumers need a special license from Swizzerland's health ministry before order U- and Th- compounds. Now I need a 'geiger counter'. :o :D



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[*] posted on 3-3-2004 at 10:46


Up untill the late 1970's some dentures sold in the U.S. contained Uranium. I don't think it would be a good idea to be playing with Uranium pyrovus.

[Edited on 3-3-2004 by tom haggen]




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[*] posted on 3-3-2004 at 13:00


I never got round to buying any. I was just pointing out that that is the only legal way to get Uranum in the UK. (Of course, you can go prospecting with a Geiger counter)
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[*] posted on 14-3-2004 at 08:57


I got uranyl zinc acetate mail-order in the UK. It's not that hard...
But I was very disappointed when I found out that it isn't flourescent :( Hehe... The strange thing is though, some grains ARE, just not many. I wonder why..?




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[*] posted on 14-3-2004 at 10:59


Quote:
Originally posted by Nick F
I got uranyl zinc acetate mail-order in the UK. It's not that hard...
But I was very disappointed when I found out that it isn't flourescent :( Hehe... The strange thing is though, some grains ARE, just not many. I wonder why..?


Where from? :)




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[*] posted on 26-3-2004 at 16:10


Seriously though, is someone really interested in high content uranium ore? I know where to get it.

/A




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[*] posted on 17-5-2004 at 11:47
Uranium sources


I've seen on eBay U acetate and nitrate.
I believe the nitrate is currently
about $12 for 2 g. Th nitrate has
been sold there too.

Radioactive rocks can be hotter,
and you can try to collect old
luminous hands and use acetone
to dissolve the paint.

A Fiestaware plate is a nice source
since it doesn't emit radon,
and gives plenty of betas, over
1 mR/hr at the surface. 100x background.

The marbles are mostly good because they
glow in UV.

I will try the tungsten in peroxide trick
for thorium chemistry.

Yellowcake from rock at
http://www.geocities.com/norm_alara
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[*] posted on 17-5-2004 at 17:37


Not 100% sure about this, but was told that certain .50 cal rounds contain depleated U in the tips to add mass and improve the armor piercing aspects. I have seen just the bullets from these rounds and can say that it is rather heavy for its size. Apparently its not too difficult to find these rounds in the US because I have heard of clubs that have assembled bolt action .50 rifles from mail order parts. Supposidly they can hit a junk car's engine block at around a quarter mile away and can tell when it hits because it rocks the suspension.
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[*] posted on 18-5-2004 at 12:10


Yes blaster we in the USA have lots of guns. There is an event in tennessee called knob creek where people shoot .50cal rifles, machine guns and even chainguns, flamethrowers and automatic cannons.



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[*] posted on 20-5-2004 at 21:42


Quote:
Originally posted by Quantum
Yes blaster we in the USA have lots of guns. There is an event in tennessee called knob creek where people shoot .50cal rifles, machine guns and even chainguns, flamethrowers and automatic cannons.


with armour piercing cyanide tipped caseless rounds??????

But of course.... its in the Constitution! ;)

For an Englishman in NY....it does seem kinda strange.

Interesting side note on U238.... its got a half life of about 5 billion years.... comparable to the age of the universe......The practical upshot is... its not radioactive...... I remember hearing a ridiculous case where some guys was sueing the army for exposure to DU, saying how dangerous it was because it had a half life of billions of year... meh... clearly being smart is no longer a criterion for joining the army.

DU armour piercing rounds are exceptionally nasty pieces of work.
1)stike.... DU heats up to about 2000 K(white heat) and melts throught the armour.
2) still having lots of KE, the molten DU splatter over the inside of the armoured vehicle, instantly killing anyone inside in a very ugly fashion.
3) 2000K DU explodes (basically combustion of the hot metal).
4) DU 'dust' from the strike is everywhere.... maybe not a radiation hazard, but DU is not a very nice chemical.
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[*] posted on 10-6-2004 at 16:15


Just how radioactive IS DU? How dangerous would say 500 mg-1 gram be to handle, I'm starting an element collection, and would like to get my hands on a very small piece of metallic uranium.

I'm in the UK btw and the government seems to feel the need to poke it's ugly nose in pretty much everywhere chemicals are concerned :mad:

[Edited on 11-6-2004 by Limpet Chicken]




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[*] posted on 10-6-2004 at 17:25


http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1111/is_n178...

The guy made U-233, which can be used in bombs by irradiating thorium with and americium-radium neutron gun. The americium was procured from thousands of smoke detectors, the radium from old clock paint, and the thorium from lantern mantles. This guy is my hero.

[Edited on 11-6-2004 by Mendeleev]




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