What is Uranium Used for?

When most people hear the words 'nuclear energy', they usually think of nuclear reactors for electricity, or even weapons. But the reality is that uranium has many uses, while international initiatives continue to prevent the use of uranium to manufacture weapons.

Radioisotopes  can be low-cost, artificially produced radioactive materials, or naturally occurring isotopes, such as uranium. Many kinds of artificial isotopes play an important part in our daily life, and are vital to medicine, industry, and even home safety, such as smoke detectors.

Almost all the uranium mined today is used to produce electricity, as it has been for more than 40 years. In fact, of the 1100 nuclear reactors operating throughout the world, more than 430 are used to generate electricity in 31 countries. About 280 reactors are used for medical and industrial needs and research in 56 countries, and more than 400 for powering ships and submarines that can stay at sea for long periods without having to refuel.

Apart from providing about 16% of the world's electricity, some other interesting uses of uranium include weighting of the keels of ocean-going yachts, and balancing the control surfaces in modern jet aircraft.

Uranium mined in Australia is exported to other countries as yellowcake (i.e. uranium oxide concentrate which, funnily enough, is actually more of a khaki colour! This is because Australia does not have any nuclear electricity plants, although there is a research reactor at Lucas Heights, west of Sydney. In addition to being used for a range of research purposes, Lucas Heights produces medical isotopes used in the diagnosis and treatment of many illnesses, including cancer.

Greater technical detail can be found on this topic by searching through the listed briefing papers and education resources at www.uic.com.au.

• What is uranium used for?
• Early uses
• Electricity
• Health & medicine
• Food & agriculture
• Industry & research