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Uranium-233

Properties and data of the isotope 233U.


Contents

Uranium-233 is the radioisotope of the element uranium, whose atomic nucleus has 141 neutrons in addition to the element-specific 92 protons, resulting in a mass number of 233. The fissile isotope of uranium is part of the thorium fuel cycle and is formed by neutron irradiation of Thorium-232 in fast-neutron reactors and in thermal reactors. U-233 is suitable as a fuel for nuclear reactors, but has hardly been used to date.

See also: list of Uranium isotopes.

 

General data

Name of the isotope:Uranium-233; U-233Symbol:233U or 23392UMass number A:233 (= number of nucleons)Atomic number Z:92 (= number of protons)Neutrons N:141Isotopic mass:233.0396343(24) u (atomic weight of Uranium-233)Nuclide mass:232.9891716 u (calculated nuclear mass without electrons)Mass excess:36.91911 MeVMass defect:1.9020218 u (per nucleus)Nuclear binding energy:1771.72189457 MeV (per nucleus)
7.60395663 MeV (average binding energy per nucleon)
Separation energy:SN = 5.7617(25) MeV (first neutron)
SP = 6.316(8) MeV (first proton)
Half-life:1.5919(15) × 105 aDecay constant λ:1.380711866899 × 10-13 s-1Specific activity α:356860143.75347 Bq g-1
0.0096448687500938 Ci g-1
Spin and parity:
(nuclear angular momentum)
5/2+Magnetic dipole moment:μ(μN) = + 0.59(5)Quadrupole moment Q:+ 3.663(8) barn (100 fm2)Nuclear g-factor:gl = 0.236Charge radius:5..8203(49) femtometer fmYear of discovery:1947

 

Radioactive Decay

Half-life T½ = 1.5919(15) × 105 a respectively 5.020216 × 1012 seconds s.

Decay
mode
DaughterProbabilityDecay energyγ energy
(intensity)
α229Th100 %4.9087(12) MeV
SZdivtrace

 

Uranium-233 radioactive decay chain

 

Parent Nuclides

Direct parent isotopes are: 237Pu, 233Np, 233Pa.

 

Isotones and Isobars

The following table shows the atomic nuclei that are isotonic (same neutron number N = 141) and isobaric (same nucleon number A = 233) with Uranium-233. Naturally occurring isotopes are marked in green; light green = naturally occurring radionuclides.

 

ZIsotone N = 141Isobar A = 233
83224Bi
84225Po
85226At
86227Rn
87228Fr233Fr
88229Ra233Ra
89230Ac233Ac
90231Th233Th
91232Pa233Pa
92233U233U
93234Np233Np
94235Pu233Pu
95236Am233Am
96237Cm233Cm
97238Bk233Bk
98239Cf
99240Es
100241Fm

 

External data and identifiers

Adopted Levels, Gammas:NuDat 233U

 

Literature and References

[1] - Maris Hanson:
Uranium 233: The Nuclear Superfuel No One is Using.
In: Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental & Innovation Law, (2022).

 


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Last update: 2023-04-23


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