Re: what is the half life and decay of U238 oxide is it different than U238

Dear Lawrence,

I'm not completely sure I understand your question. The half-life and decay rate of a material are related numbers: if something has a half-life of 1 year and you start with 1 kilogram, after 1 year you will have 1/2 kilogram, after two you will have 1/4 kilogram, etc. that means you could say the decay rate is 50% per year.

Further, the half-life of something is determined by the isotope-- the number of neutrons in a given nucleus-- not by chemical compound. Radioactivity is entirely related to nuclear properties (the nucleus), not by molecules, which is chemistry. So, to answer your first question, the half life is the same.

That means that burning the uranium would not change the half-life. you should realize, though, that the pressure and temperature requirements for burning uranium are very extreme and would not happen when a tank burns or a conventional bunker buster explodes.

Since uranium 238 is uranium 238, the decay products would still be the same. You should also know that the uranium in "depleted uranium" is not very radioactive at all and is more dangerous as a heavy metal poison than as a radioactive substance.

One final thought: there have been no conclusive studies that demonstrate that depleted uranium munitions cause any illnesses. Congress is considering a law that would require further study to see if there are any dangers to depleted uranium.