# Can I buy a sample of depleted uranium? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 21, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018 "2003-04-21T12:22:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![G.Cornelius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@G.Cornelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Cornelius)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/1 "2003-04-21T12:22:20Z")
Feeling the need to own the strage and unusual, I am fasinated by the properties of depleted uranium - it is just so very dense. I understand that DU has all sorts of non military uses, so I was wondering, is it possibe for me to own a sample. I realise the DU is toxic and somewhat radioactive. Is that a serious problem? I imagine having a sample (bigger the better really) set in a block of transparent plastic to keep it safe. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/2 "2003-04-21T12:38:42Z")
Not sure about obtaining DU, but you could buy [The Element Collection](http://www.element-collection.com/) which includes uranium. ---
**Author:** ![humbleopinion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@humbleopinion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humbleopinion)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/3 "2003-04-21T12:51:59Z")
I wanted some to use as a telescope mounting counterweight about 40 years ago and it was available. I had some infomation from Harwell (I think). But not sure. And I am glad I didn’t, since it would have had to be machined. Owning a block seems ok to me but not working it. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/4 "2003-04-21T14:52:29Z")
There was a model railroader with a N scale layout who used to use depleted uranium to weight his model locomotives (more weight in a locomotive = better operation, especially for smaller scales). I tried to google for a cite, but with no success - maybe it was all one big joke, but I still think it was real… ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/5 "2003-04-21T15:11:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rsa \* > \*\*Not sure about obtaining DU, but you could buy [The Element Collection](http://www.element-collection.com/) which includes uranium. \*\* Which claims to include a sample of Astatine. And Francium, too. Oh, really? And do you get a daily service to replenish the sample? (Both of those elements exist only in isotopes with very short half lives, and the amount present on the Earth at any one time is reckoned \< 1 Kg. I imagine what the collection really presents is an ore sample which might contain a few atoms of those elements at any given time.) ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/6 "2003-04-21T15:21:38Z")
Of course, if you were just after density, not novelty, Osmium and Iridium are denser. For that matter, so is Platinum. I admit those seem rather mundane in comparison, not that I would feel justified in paying the required price for any of them for ballast. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/7 "2003-04-21T16:12:34Z")
What a great conversation piece. “Yes, that’s my chunk of uranium. Oh, no. Don’t worry. I’m reasonably sure that cube of plastic will shield you from radiation. Would you like to hold it?” The chicks would go absolutely wild. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/8 "2003-04-21T17:03:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > \*\*Which claims to include a sample of Astatine. And Francium, too. Oh, really? And do you get a daily service to replenish the sample? > > (Both of those elements exist only in isotopes with very short half lives, and the amount present on the Earth at any one time is reckoned \< 1 Kg. I imagine what the collection really presents is an ore sample which might contain a few atoms of those elements at any given time.) \*\* My guess would be there’s something similar to a cow being used. If you got something which had a reasonable decay chain, you could have small amounts all the time. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/9 "2003-04-21T17:05:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny Bravo \* > \*\*What a great conversation piece. > > “Yes, that’s my chunk of uranium. Oh, no. Don’t worry. I’m reasonably sure that cube of plastic will shield you from radiation. Would you like to hold it?” > > The chicks would go absolutely wild. \*\* Well, if a chick told me that, I would go absolutely wild. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/10 "2003-04-21T17:54:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by G. Cornelius \* > **Feeling the need to own the strage and unusual, I am fasinated by the properties of depleted uranium - it is just so very dense. I understand that DU has all sorts of non military uses, so I was wondering, is it possibe for me to own a sample.** Try [eBay](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2920524779&category=1468). ---
**Author:** ![Riboflavin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Riboflavin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riboflavin)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/11 "2003-04-21T20:09:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > I imagine what the collection really presents is an ore sample which might contain a few atoms of those elements at any given time.) I imagine that before you go on ‘imagining’ what they’re secretly doing and getting mad about what they claim, a sensible person would look at the FAQ on the page linked to. But it’s generally more fun to cleverly expose deception than to look at their FAQ which says “The remaining seven radioactives are represented by small Uranium or Thorium bearing rocks. These naturally occurring specimens contain complex decay chains of radioactive elements and at any given time will harbour a small quantity of the specified element. Further details, including an estimate of the number of atoms each radioactive element in the samples, are provided in the guide that accompanies the Element Collection.” ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/12 "2003-04-21T21:10:34Z")
Oh, come on, I was having a bit of fun. You didn’t think I was making a serious objection, did you? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/13 "2003-04-21T21:21:41Z")
The OP might also be interested in [uranium glass](http://1st.glassman.com/vaselineglass.html). ---
**Author:** ![Riboflavin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Riboflavin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riboflavin)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/14 "2003-04-21T22:28:34Z")
Actually, yeah yabob, I’ve seen that sort of thing all too often, some kind of ‘how dare they lie like that!’ when the site clears things up. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/15 "2003-04-21T22:53:29Z")
When I was little, some guy from a nuclear power company visited our school. He brought little cylinders of depleted uranium and passed them around the classroom. He assured us that it was completely safe to handle. I imagine any one of us could have pocketed a cylinder unnoticed. Given this lax security, I doubt it would be difficult for the average person to obtain some depleted uranium through other means. Heck, you can find chunks of unrefined, non-depleted uranium just lying on the ground in many places. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/16 "2003-04-21T23:01:54Z")
Help this forgetful, former Chem major! Isn’t depleted Uranium simply Lead? Isn’t that how Helium gets made? The Uranium turns into Helium and Lead and, I forget, a gamma ray or something? Yes? No? I will sit down now, wallowing in my ignorance and awaiting the inevitable refresher course in basic science. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/17 "2003-04-21T23:50:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by stuyguy \* > \*\*Help this forgetful, former Chem major! Isn’t depleted Uranium simply Lead? Isn’t that how Helium gets made? The Uranium turns into Helium and Lead and, I forget, a gamma ray or something? > > Yes? No? > > I will sit down now, wallowing in my ignorance and awaiting the inevitable refresher course in basic science. \*\* No. Depleted uranium is the heavier, more stable isotope of uranium, U-238. Naturally occuring uranium is mostly U-238, with a little U-235 and tiny amounts of other isotopes. Depleted uranium is nearly pure U-238. It’s what’s left over after you remove the U-235 for use as nuclear reactor or bomb fuel. Lead is a completely different element from uranium. It is true that all decay chains eventually end as lead, perhaps that’s what you’re thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/18 "2003-04-22T11:00:03Z")
I thinks there is lots going free in Iraq at the moment. The locals mights even pay you to take it away. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-buy-a-sample-of-depleted-uranium/170018/19 "2003-04-22T11:59:28Z")
A while ago there was a controversy because supposedly an Army surplus store here in KC was selling the depleted uranium slugs (not shells) used by the Avenger cannon on the A10. However, I think in the end it turned out that although the Army was very, very, VERY unhappy that they were being sold, as they had been sold by accident in a surplus clearing, it wasn’t actually illegal to own them.