Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element with atomic number 92. It occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock, and water, and is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals such as uraninite. Here are some of the uses of uranium:

• Nuclear fuel: Uranium is used as a fuel for nuclear power plants and the nuclear reactors that run naval ships and submarines. Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring fissile isotope, which makes it widely used in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. Uranium-238 is fissionable by fast neutrons, and is fertile, meaning it can be transmuted to fissile plutonium-239 in a nuclear reactor.

• Medical and industrial isotopes: Uranium can be used to produce isotopes used for medical, industrial, and defense purposes.

• Radiation shielding: Depleted uranium (uranium containing mostly U-238) can be used for radiation shielding.

• Armor-piercing weapons: Depleted uranium can also be used as projectiles in armor-piercing weapons.

• Colorant for ceramic glazes: For many years, uranium was used primarily as a colorant for ceramic glazes.

• Ballast for ships and counterweights for aircraft: Depleted uranium is a dense metal that can be used as ballast for ships and counterweights for aircraft.

• Biological role: Uranium has no known biological role, and it is a toxic metal.

Uranium is sold only to countries which are signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and which allow international inspection to verify that it is used only for peaceful purposes.