What is considered special nuclear material?

What is considered special nuclear material?

“Special nuclear material” (SNM) is defined by Title I of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as plutonium, uranium-233, or uranium enriched in the isotopes uranium-233 or uranium-235, but does not include source material.

What are two types of nuclear materials?

According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC), there are four different types of regulated nuclear materials: special nuclear material, source material, byproduct material and radium. Special nuclear materials have plutonium, uranium-233 or uranium with U233 or U235 that has a content found more than in nature.

Is Depleted Uranium special nuclear material?

The uranium oxide (comprised of depleted uranium) are a source material. A uranium downblending facility converts enriched uranium (special nuclear material) to a lower enrichment concentration using depleted uranium (source material).

What is a category 1 nuclear facility?

In which four categories of facility were defined: Hazard Category 1: Hazard Analysis shows the potential for significant off-site consequences, which include Category A reactors (steady-state power level greater than 20MWth and facilities designated by Program Secretarial Officers (PSO).

Is tritium a special nuclear material?

Although the 1983 Hart-Simpson amendment to the Atomic Energy Act expressly prohibits the civilian production of “special nuclear material,” such as uranium-233 and plutonium, tritium does not meet that classification because it is not a fissile material capable of sustaining a nuclear reaction.

What is nuclear material used for?

Medical, Industrial, and Academic Uses of Nuclear Material. Uranium Recovery Facilities. Fuel Cycle Facilities. Materials Transportation.

How is nuclear material found?

Uranium is found in small amounts in most rocks, and even in seawater. Water injected with oxygen (or an alkali, acid or other oxidizing solution) is circulated through the uranium ore, extracting the uranium. The uranium solution is then pumped to the surface.

Is Depleted Uranium better than tungsten?

Depleted uranium is (almost) as dense as tungsten and has an added advantage – from a military perspective – that it burns at the extreme temperatures generated as you punch your way through steel tank armour. It sounds bizarre but, in the world of warfare, tungsten is the eco-friendly alternative.

Who is the father of nuclear material?

By 1900, physicists knew the atom contains large quantities of energy. British physicist Ernest Rutherford was called the father of nuclear science because of his contribution to the theory of atomic structure.

What is a Category 2 nuclear facility?

Category II, Special nuclear material of moderate strategic significance. 10,000 grams or more of uranium-235 (contained in uranium enriched to 10 percent or more but less than 20 percent in the U-235 isotope).

What is the term for special nuclear material?

Special nuclear material (SNM) is a term used by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the United States to classify fissile materials.

What kind of nuclear material is Category III?

Category III is special nuclear material of low strategic significance. 10,000 grams or more of uranium-235 (contained in uranium enriched above natural but less than 10 percent in the U-235 isotope).

What kind of material is used in nuclear weapons?

Special nuclear material is only mildly radioactive, but it includes fissile isotopes — uranium-233, uranium-235, and plutonium-239 — that, in concentrated form, could be used as the primary ingredients of nuclear explosives.

Why is the NRC required to possess SNM?

To ensure the safety of the public and the security of the Nation, the NRC requires facilities licensed to possess SNM to establish and maintain security programs that protect the material and prevent the loss or theft of SNM (see Material Control and Accounting ).