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Radiological Safety Training for Plutonium Facilities
DOEHDBK11452001
Student's Guide
The actual nuclide and quantity produced depend
on the source material, type of reactor, and length of
irradiation time.
The reactor grade, with its higher Pu-240 content,
presents a much higher gamma and neutron dose rate
than does the weapons grade. The reason is that the
Pu-240 has more than 1000 times the spontaneous
fission rate than does the Pu-239. Pu-241 and Pu-242
also have a much higher spontaneous fission rate.
The prompt gammas and neutrons from the
spontaneous fission and the fission product gammas
produce a much higher overall dose rate for the
reactor grade material.
Table 1 shows the approximate weight
percentages of the three grades of plutonium.
In November 1946, the first nuclear reactor to use
separated out plutonium as fuel, called Clementine,
was activated at Los Alamos. Since more plutonium
can be bred during the operation of the reactor, the
country's nuclear fuel reserves could be greatly
increased as a result.
Table 1
Approximate Weight Percentages of Predominant Nuclides
Nuclide
Heat-Source
Weapons Grade
Reactor Grade
Pu-238
90.0
<0.05
1.5
Pu-239
9.1
93.6
58.1
Pu-240
0.6
6.0
24.1
Pu-241
0.03
0.4
11.4
Pu-242
<0.01
<0.05
4.9
D. Other uses of plutonium
Plutonium can also be used in neutron detectors
and neutron sources, as well as in the production of
other man-made elements.
5


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