14-1 CHEM 312: Part 2 Lecture 14 Plutonium Chemistry • Readings § Pu chemistry à http :// radchem.nevada.edu/classes/r dch710/files/plutonium.pdf § Challenges of Pu chemistry à http://radchem.nevada.edu/cl asses/rdch710/lanl Pu book/LASCIENCE.PDF • Nuclear properties and isotope production • Pu in nature • Pu solution chemistry • Separation and Purification • Atomic properties • Metallic state • Compounds • Isotopes from 228≤A≤247 • Important isotopes § 238 Pu à 237 Np(n,g) 238 Np * 238 Pu from beta decay of 238 Np * Separated from unreacted Np by ion exchange à Decay of 242 Cm à 0.57 W/g à Power source for space exploration * 83.5 % 238 Pu, chemical form as dioxide * Enriched 16 O to limit neutron emission Ø 6000 n s -1 g -1 Ø 0.418 W/g PuO 2 à 150 g PuO 2 in Ir-0.3 % W container