The History of Nuclear Materials By: Mackenzie Reichert

Nuclear material 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. What is Nuclear Material??? Radioactive material containing plutonium (but not exceeding 80 percent of plutonium 238), or uranium 233 or 235.

The discovery of the element is credited to the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth. While he was working in his experimental laboratory in Berlin in URANIUM

Uranium Facts Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element with symbol U and atomic number 92. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. In the early twentieth century, Glenn Seaborg converted uranium-238 into plutonium.

Enrico Fermi and a team of scientists at the University of Rome reported that they had discovered element 94 in PLUTONIUM

Plutonium Facts Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. The original sample was a mixture of barium, krypton, and other elements, but this was not known at the time because nuclear fission had not been discovered yet.

Thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. THORIUM

Thorium Facts Morten Thrane Esmark found a black mineral on in Norway. Thorium was first observed to be radioactive in 1898, independently, by the Polish-French physicist Marie Curie and the German chemist Gerhard Carl Schmidt.

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Controversy in the US In today’s world many controversy goes on about Nuclear Materials not being protected. As stated in a news conference, “The international nuclear security framework remains weak and uneven.“ Many people in the US believe that there should be security on these Nuclear Materials others do not.

Security on Nuclear Materials would help prevent terrorist attacks. People who disagree believe it will be too difficult for security to be intact.

Sources security-newswire/officials-eye-new-nuclear- security-gains-beyond-next-week-s-summit security-newswire/officials-eye-new-nuclear- security-gains-beyond-next-week-s-summit