Uranium Compounds

Name:
Uranium Compounds
Detailed information:
Before the advent of nuclear energy, uranium had very limited uses. It had been suggested for filaments of lamps. A small tube of uranium dioxide, UO₂, connected in series with the tungsten filaments of large incandescent lamps used for photography and motion pictures, tends to eliminate the sudden surge of current through the bulbs when the light is turned on, thereby extending their lives. Compounds of uranium have been used in photography for toning, and in the leather and wood industries uranium compounds have been used for stains and dyes. Uranium salts are mordants of silk or wool. In making special steels, a little ferrouranium has been utilized, but its value is questionable in this connection. Such alloys have not proved commercially attractive. In the production of ceramics, sodium and ammonium diuranates have been used to produce colored glazes. Uranium carbide has been suggested as a good catalyst for the production of synthetic ammonia. Uranium salts in small quantities are claimed to stimulate plant growth, but large quantities are clearly poisonous to plants.By far the most important use of uranium lies in its application for nuclear (or atomic) energy.