Uranium

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Uranium (U) is a naturally occurring radioactive element, categorized as atomic number 92 on the periodic table of elements. As a radioactive element, uranium decays over time and releases energy in the process. Uranium is the main source of fuel for nuclear reactors.

There are three natural isotopes of uranium: uranium-234 (U-234), uranium-235 (U-235) and uranium-238 (U-238). U-238 is the most common uranium isotope and accounts for around 99% of natural uranium found on earth. Meanwhile, most nuclear reactors use fuels containing U-235. As natural uranium typically contains only 0.72% of U-235, the U-235 concentration is typically artificially increased through a process called enrichment. Through enrichment, the isotopic proportion of U-235 is increased from 0.72% to up to 94%.