Elemental Analysis - Plutonium (Pu)

Plutonium is a silvery radioactive metal. Plutonium was used in many of the first atomic bombs and is still used in nuclear weapons. A full explosion of one kilogram of plutonium produces an explosion equivalent to over 10 tons of chemical explosives. Plutonium is also an important material in the development of nuclear energy. Plutonium has been used as an energy source in spacecraft going very far.

Plutonium has no known biological role. However, it is extremely toxic due to its radioactivity.

The largest source of plutonium is the irradiation of uranium in nuclear reactors. In this study, a cyclotron device was used and uranium atoms were bombarded with neptunium-238 ions. Neptunium-238 then decayed to plutonium-238 via beta decay. The half-life of the plutonium-238 isotope is 24 years. Plutonium metal is produced by the reduction of plutonium tetrafluoride with calcium.It is ethyl.

Plutonium was first produced and isolated in 1940. Five years after it was produced, it was used to make the atomic bomb that was dropped on Japan at the end of World War II.

Unlike many metals, plutonium is not a good conductor of heat or electricity. It has a low melting point and a very high boiling point.

In the tests and analyzes carried out in our institution, which has a wide range of technological equipment, trained and experienced staff and applies the most modern methods, national and international standards and legal regulations in force are complied with. Among the numerous tests carried out in this context, there are also plutonium (Pu) testing services within the framework of elemental analysis.