4 ms·

Pu-239 comes from uranium. It’s not a naturally occurring element.

• Qem 3y ago
  But then it sidesteps the need for a U235 enrichment process. One can start from the wrong type of uranium. The downside is you can't use the simple gun-type assembly for the warhead. You must be able to assemble a tricky implosion-type device.
  • bumby 3y ago
    But doesn’t it just then mean you have to enrich deuterium? At some point you’re still needing a massive industrialized process, you just have to pick your position, no?
    • Qem 3y ago
      Graphite also works. The first ever man-made nuclear reactor used natural uranium with graphite as moderator. See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Pile-1 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Pile-1
      • bumby 3y ago
        I’m aware of CP-1, but has graphite been used in conjunction with any reactors using natural uranium as fuel?