Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element with atomic number 92. It occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock, and water, and is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals such as uraninite. Here are some of the uses of uranium:
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Nuclear fuel: Uranium is used as a fuel for nuclear power plants and the nuclear reactors that run naval ships and submarines. Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring fissile isotope, which makes it widely used in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. Uranium-238 is fissionable by fast neutrons, and is fertile, meaning it can be transmuted to fissile plutonium-239 in a nuclear reactor.
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Medical and industrial isotopes: Uranium can be used to produce isotopes used for medical, industrial, and defense purposes.
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Radiation shielding: Depleted uranium (uranium containing mostly U-238) can be used for radiation shielding.
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Armor-piercing weapons: Depleted uranium can also be used as projectiles in armor-piercing weapons.
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Colorant for ceramic glazes: For many years, uranium was used primarily as a colorant for ceramic glazes.
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Ballast for ships and counterweights for aircraft: Depleted uranium is a dense metal that can be used as ballast for ships and counterweights for aircraft.
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Biological role: Uranium has no known biological role, and it is a toxic metal.
Uranium is sold only to countries which are signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and which allow international inspection to verify that it is used only for peaceful purposes.
