Uses for Uranium

Uranium's uses extend far beyond nuclear energy. Few people realize the extent to which the use of radioisotopes have changed our lives over the last few decades.

Over 200 small nuclear reactors around the world power some 150 ships (from submarines to icebreakers and aircraft carriers), enabling them to stay at sea for extended periods.

In some countries like Sweden and Russia, heat produced by nuclear reactors is used directly to heat buildings and to provide heat for a variety of industrial processes such as water desalination.

In medicine, radioisotopes are widely used for diagnosis and research, providing diagnostic information about a person's anatomy and the functioning of specific organs. Radiotherapy is used to treat some illnesses like cancer. More powerful gamma sources are used to sterilize syringes, bandages and other medical equipment. In the western world, one out of every two persons is likely to experience the benefits of nuclear medicine in their lifetime. Industrially, and in mining, radioisotopes are used to examine welds, to detect leaks, to study the rate of wear of metals, and for on-stream analysis of a wide range of minerals and fuels.