Q. Uranium oxide is found in Bihar. It is destroyed by itself even if not used. Discuss the economic aspects of this mineral. (46 BPSC/2005)

Q. Uranium oxide is found in Bihar. It is destroyed by itself even if not used. Discuss the economic aspects of this mineral. (46 BPSC/2005)

Ans: Uranium oxide is an oxide of the element uranium. it occurs in several forms e.g. UO2, U2O5, UO3 etc.  The most common forms of uranium oxide are triuranium octoxide (U3O8) and UO2. Triuranium octoxide is (depending on conditions) the most stable compound of uranium and is the form most commonly found in nature. Uranium dioxide is the form in which uranium is most commonly used as a nuclear reactor fuel.
Uranium deposits occur in Singhbhum and Hazaribagh districts of Jharkhand, Gaya district of Bihar. In Mica-field of Gaya, Munger, 30 uranium bearing pegmatite have been located. The largest source of uranium comprise the monazite sands. Monazite sands occur on east and west coasts and in some places in Bihar. (But the largest concentration of monazite sand is on the Kerala coast.)
It is destroyed by itself even if not used:

• Raw uranium oxide is highly explosive as well as radioactive. Being radioactive it Depletes naturally.
• It is not always stable and great care must usually be used in handling it.
• Triuranium octoxide is (depending on conditions) the most stable compound of uranium and is the form most commonly found in nature. Uranium dioxide is the form in which uranium is most commonly used as a nuclear reactor fuel.
  • At ambient temperatures, UO2 will gradually convert to U3O8.

Economic aspects;

• UO2 is used mainly as nuclear fuel, specifically as UO2 or as a mixture of UO2 and PuO2 (plutonium dioxide) called a mixed oxide (MOX fuel), in the form of fuel rods in nuclear reactors.
  • The thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide is very low when compared with uranium, uranium nitride, uranium carbide etc.
• Uranium oxide (urania) was used to color glass and ceramics prior to World War II, and until the applications of radioactivity were discovered this was its main use.
  • More commonly it is used in oxidation to produce bright yellow, orange and red glazes. – it is used in formulations of enamel and porcelain.
• Prior to the realisation of the harmfulness of radiation, uranium was included in false teeth and dentures, as its slight fluorescence made the dentures appear more like real teeth in a variety of lighting conditions.
• Depleted UO2 (DUO2) can be used as a material for radiation shielding.
• Depleted uranium dioxide can be also used as a catalyst, e.g. for degradation of volatile organic compounds in gaseous phase, oxidation of methane to methanol, and removal of sulfur from petroleum.
• The use of uranium dioxide as a material for rechargeable batteries is being investigated. The batteries could have high power density.
• Uranium dioxide is also the strongest known piezomagnetic in the antiferromagnetic state observed at cryogenic temperatures below 30 kelvins.
• It has Semiconductor properties as well. The band gap of uranium dioxide is comparable to those of silicon and gallium arsenide.

Health risk:

• Being a radioactice material it poses certain health risk even cancers. 
• Breathing dust particulates and eating food can lead to lung collapse and organ failure.