The Role of Plutonium as a Resource Now and in the Future

To appreciate the role of plutonium as a resource now and in the future, we need to examine this remarkable element in the context of three separate and different applications. These involve three of the several isotopes of plutonium, with half-lives of approximately 89 years for 238, roughly 24,000 years for 239, and about 6,500 years for 240. use; 240 is a strong neutron-emitter and predominates in reactor-grade plutonium. 238Pu, 239Pu and 240Pu. All of these are alphaemitters239Pu is the fissionable isotope preferred for weapons