Uranium abundence

[Marlin]

If you were to compare the natural abundence of uranium to other metals it would be roughly equivalent to:

1) Platinum
2) Gold
3) Silver
4) Iron
5) Copper
6) Tin

Answer in a week.

[thenuttyneutron]

If I had to guess without doing research, I would say Tin.  Uranium is more common than Silver, Gold, or Platinum.  Iron is a no brainer, it makes up a very large portion of the earth's mass.   I am not sure between Copper or Tin.  I am going to say Tin because Copper is found in large deposits and is cheaper than Uranium or Tin.

[RNN]

I'm going with gold. If I remember right both are in the high 90% range but I'm getting old and don't remember alot any more 

RNN

[wlrun3@aol.com]

 
  ...abundance approximately that of tin or zinc...



 

[thenuttyneutron]

I think he means abundance in today's crust.  There are indications that there is a massive breeder reactor fueling it self on a diet of Plutonium, Uranium and the fertile fuel Thorium.  Volcanologist have seen very strange ratios of He3/He4 from gas emissions of volcanoes that could only be explained by this theory of the center of the earth nuclear reactor.  If we were to count this in the question, we might be way off in what we think the earth has.  I think it is a great theory that we could test more.  Maybe if we get better neutrino detectors, we can get more data to this mystery that may be occuring at the center of our Planet.  I wonder how the anti-nukes would feel about this natural reactor.  We already have had previous natural reactors in the history of the earth in Africa

[RNN]

I wonder how the anti-nukes would feel about this natural reactor.  We already have had previous natural reactors in the history of the earth in Africa

We had some of the Belgium Congo Ore in the Silos of Fernald and I can tell you it was quite toasty as raw ore goes

I think the Anti-Nuke crowd would crap them selfs more than they do now than when you argue with them that coal fired plants pump more thorium and uranium into the envrioment than a nuke fired plant. Hell most times when I try to argue this with them all I get is " LALALALALALALALALALALALA I can't hear you LALALALALA"

RNN

[JessJen]

Uranium is 40 times more naturally abundant than silver.

Concentration - uranium ranks 48th among the most abundant elements found in natural crustal rock.

It is more plentiful than antimony, tin, cadmium, mercury, or silver and is about as abundant as arsenic or molybdenum. It is found in hundreds of minerals including uraninite (the most common uranium ore), autunite, uranophane, torbernite, and coffinite. Significant concentrations of uranium occur in some substances such as phosphate rock deposits, and minerals such as lignite, and monazite sands in uranium-rich ores (it is recovered commercially from these sources with as little as 0.1% uranium).

Thank you wikipedia

[thenuttyneutron]

Yeah go figure, the NRC should regulate the dirt burners due to the radioactive content of their ash.  Coal is dirty and many scientist are conviced that global warming is real.  That is not something I know enough about to debate, just paroting what the current science is saying.

There are two types of enviromental people.  The smart ones who can listen to reason and make good choices based in science.  The other follows a theology of idealism where magical amouts of energy will be created without ever increasing the entropy of the universe.  In their world people can eat grass, tree bark, make their electricy from panels of Silicon containing Gallium and Arcenic or wind turbines and some how not hurt mother nature and all her creations.  

I am a smart enviromentalist that earned a degree in nuclear engineering.  I know that humans can have a great quality of life with lots of technology and have little impact on the earth.  I dont want to live like stone age people inorder to "save" the earth.  I sometimes have to do work around the spent fuel pool at my plant and see almost all the nuke waste it has made in its entire history.  Except for what is in the pot or in dry storage, the waste at the bottom of that fuel is extremely minor when compared to other power generation methods.  

I love how nuclear power is so clean and renewable.  Start making thermal breeders with Th232 and reprocess the fuel, you can make more fuel than you consume.  It also has a very small foot print, 1 mile^2 will provide more than enough land for many units.  I wonder what you can get out of wind or solar on that same mile^2?

Enough already!  I rarely rant, but the real reason for this thread is the original question. What is the correct answer?  I am still rooting for Tin.

EDIT:  While typing this post someone beat me to the punch.  If JessJen is correct I will switch my choice to copper:)

[RNN]

I'm rooting for gold 

[Brett LaVigne]

It is a little more common than gold but roughly the same as tungsten.

[Charles U Farley]

gold 0.004
silver 0.07
tungsten 1.5
molybdenum 1.5
uranium 1.8
thorium 7
lead 13
copper 55
zinc 70
iron 50000
aluminum 81300

g/ton crustal abundance


From a textbook of mine.

[alphadude]

Nutty Neutron dont get me started-

think about the tons of uranium that is thrown away daily by the phosphate industry and its already mined.  its cheaper to process and the present day "uranium cartel" is keeping the phosphate material off the market-uranium is like diamonds-found in every state in the US.

[Roll Tide]

More important, what is the abundance of U-235 (or 233)?

[HydroDave63]

I think he means abundance in today's crust.  There are indications that there is a massive breeder reactor fueling it self on a diet of Plutonium, Uranium and the fertile fuel Thorium.  Volcanologist have seen very strange ratios of He3/He4 from gas emissions of volcanoes that could only be explained by this theory of the center of the earth nuclear reactor. 

Which is why we need better mining technology, we must go to the Core of the Earth! We can reduce volcanoes, and get more fissile fuels for our reactors! We need those megawatts way worse than the volcanoes....gimme those TeraJoules!

Earth First ! ...we'll strip mine the rest of the planets later

Brought to you by Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow

[wlrun3@aol.com]

   ..."Maybe if we get better neutrino detectors, we can get more data to this mystery that may be occuring at the center of our Planet."   

   ...what more do you know about this topic...

   ...by the way, your posts (swimming pool reactor criticality...phosphorous flashbulb) are great...

[thenuttyneutron]

   ..."Maybe if we get better neutrino detectors, we can get more data to this mystery that may be occuring at the center of our Planet."   

   ...what more do you know about this topic...

   ...by the way, your posts (swimming pool reactor criticality...phosphorous flashbulb) are great...

I am just going to say that I learned lots of stuff in college but still know nothing   I had that attitude when I became a NLO and will continue having this belief till I get more experience.  I can only comment on the things I have actually seen.  I just like the theory and think that it is a cool idea that our earth has it's own reactor.  This reactor is powering the magnetic field and the geology of the earth.

The trash can sized reactor at the bottom of a swimming pool is a different kind of beast than the one I work at now.  I was allowed to take the pool reactor critical under the direction of a licensed person and found it very easy.  Taking a power reactor from mode 5 to mode 1 is a huge team effort and I could not see all the work involved.  I know enough to be a bit worried about trying to get the instant SRO.  I am wondering if reactor engineering is more up my alley.

Alphadude:

I was unaware that the phosphate industry threw away so much uranium.  That is a huge waste of such a valuable resource. 

Roll Tide:
I am not sure about the natural abundance of U-233.  I know it is very very small due to the short halflife.  According to my bible, err Chart of Nuclides, Uranium 235 is about 0.7% of the total Uranium.  This may be very different if the georeactor is real.  U233 may be it's primary fuel.

[Marlin]

If you were to compare the natural abundence of uranium to other metals it would be roughly equivalent to:

1) Platinum
2) Gold
3) Silver
4) Iron
5) Copper
6) Tin

Answer in a week.

The answer to the original question is Tin. My source was NEI. Lots of good responses though!!

[SloGlo]

Which is why we need better mining technology, we must go to the Core of the Earth! We can reduce volcanoes, and get more fissile fuels for our reactors! We need those megawatts way worse than the volcanoes....gimme those TeraJoules!

Earth First ! ...we'll strip mine the rest of the planets later

Brought to you by Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow

hail, alla we gotta due is run a cupla u-tubes dawn two da core, flash h₂o too sum steem 'n spin a surface turbine.  megawatts fer da drilling..... e lek trecity two cheep too meet her.

[MrHazmat]

Dang Slogo, you must have a long drill bit!!!!