British Scientists Force Uranium into Chemical Reaction

British scientists force uranium into chemical reaction

LONDON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) — British scientists have forced uranium, the heaviest naturally occurring element prevalent in nuclear waste, into a chemical reaction, a big step forward in understanding how the element works, Nature reported Thursday in its latest issue.

A better understanding of uranium chemistry is fundamental to waste-disposal techniques. The chemical achievements will not yet allow researchers to clean uranium out of the environment, but might one day lead to uranium ‘mops’ or even new catalysts for industrial processing, the science magazine said.

The research was led by Polly Arnold at the University of Edinburgh.

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