Can Terrorists process the depleted uranium in American tanks to make a neutron reflector?

Question

So we worry about dirty bombs and nuclear bombs getting in the hands of terrorists, but at the same time send tanks loaded with depleted uranium shielding and ammo into iraq.

At the time we first sent them our viewpoint was the armour was so tough (due to the depleted uranium) that it would be a rare event to lose one. We had no idea that the IED's would be so big, that we are losing tanks like everything else.

I read on wiki that depleted uranium is use as a neutron reflector in making nuclear weapons. So, are we helping our enemy?

Answer 1

I wouldn't believe everything you read on wiki, especially things dealing with controversial topics like nuclear energy or stem cells.

Now to answer your question, I suppose that depleted uranium could be used as a reflector in a bomb, but its effects will be marginal at best, lead probabally would be a better pick. Also if Uranium was a better reflector, you would be better off using natural Uranium than depleted Uranium. Its relativity easy to get both natural Uranium and lead so worrying about depleted Uranium rounds is kind of silly.

Answer 2

Depleted uranium is almost entirely U-238. Now granted that does do fast fission if you have a source of fast neutrons and the right geometry (say, using it as a casing in a fusion bomb) but it is not really weapons material, not for fission. What folks want is U-235, which is already separated out of the U-238, gone. And of course Pu-239 (et al) which fissions very nicely.

To get U-235, you have to have centrifuges or long long trains of gas diffusion plants. Then you turn uranium dioxiode into uranium hexafluoride gas and let it diffuse or spin it. In either case, the enrichment is slight and must be repeated over and over again.

Plutonium may be chemically separated from burned reactor fuel but that takes handling very nasty stuff in chemically and thermally hot, as well as radioactively ugly environments.

In short, the uranium used on the battlefield is not very useful except as armor and armor-piercing shells.

Answer 3

Yes, but there is not a lot of use for neutron reflectors unless you are building a nuclear bomb -- in which case, you have all the uranium you need anyway. Any heavy metal, such as lead, will reflect neutrons.

Answer 4

The how-to manual in ARABIC that the Bush admin left up on the net is probably much more help in fabbing a nuke. Jeez...

Answer 5

Your enemy is Bush!

Answer 6

Maybe.