Uranium-233
Properties and data of the isotope 233U.
Uranium-233 is the radioisotope of the element uranium, whose atomic nucleus has 141 neutrons in addition to the element-specific 92 protons, resulting in a mass number of 233. The fissile isotope of uranium is part of the thorium fuel cycle and is formed by neutron irradiation of Thorium-232 in fast-neutron reactors and in thermal reactors. U-233 is suitable as a fuel for nuclear reactors, but has hardly been used to date.
See also: List of individual Uranium isotopes (and general data sources).
General data
Name of the isotope:Uranium-233; U-233Symbol:233U or 23392UMass number A:233 (= number of nucleons)Atomic number Z:92 (= number of protons)Neutrons N:141Nucleon pairing (Z - N):even - oddNuclear ratio (N/Z ratio):1.5326086956522 (= neutron-proton ratio)Neutron excess (N-Z):49Isotopic mass:233.0396343(24) u (atomic weight of Uranium-233)Nuclide mass:232.9891716 u (calculated nuclear mass without electrons)Mass excess:36.91911 MeVMass defect:1.9020218 u (per nucleus)Nuclear binding energy:1771.72189457 MeV (per nucleus)
7.60395663 MeV (average binding energy per nucleon)Separation energy:SN = 5.7617(25) MeV (first neutron)
SP = 6.316(8) MeV (first proton)Half-life:1.5919(15) × 105 aDecay constant λ:1.380711866899 × 10-13 s-1Specific activity α:356860143.75347 Bq g-1
0.0096448687500938 Ci g-1Spin and parity:
(nuclear angular momentum)5/2+Magnetic dipole moment:μ(μN) = + 0.59(5)Quadrupole moment Q:+ 3.663(8) barn (100 fm2)Nuclear g-factor:gl = 0.236Charge radius:5..8203(49) femtometer fmYear of discovery:1947
Radioactive Decay
Half-life T½ = 1.5919(15) × 105 a respectively 5.020216 × 1012 seconds s.
Decay
mode | Daughter | Probability | Decay energy | γ energy
(intensity) |
|---|
| α | 229Th | 100 % | 4.9087(12) MeV | |
| SZ | div | trace | | |
Parent Nuclides
Direct parent isotopes are: 237Pu, 233Np, 233Pa.
Isotones and Isobars
The following table shows the atomic nuclei that are isotonic (same neutron number N = 141) and isobaric (same nucleon number A = 233) with Uranium-233. Naturally occurring isotopes are marked in green; light green = naturally occurring radionuclides.
| Z | Isotone N = 141 | Isobar A = 233 |
|---|
| 83 | 224Bi | |
| 84 | 225Po | |
| 85 | 226At | |
| 86 | 227Rn | |
| 87 | 228Fr | 233Fr |
| 88 | 229Ra | 233Ra |
| 89 | 230Ac | 233Ac |
| 90 | 231Th | 233Th |
| 91 | 232Pa | 233Pa |
| 92 | 233U | 233U |
| 93 | 234Np | 233Np |
| 94 | 235Pu | 233Pu |
| 95 | 236Am | 233Am |
| 96 | 237Cm | 233Cm |
| 97 | 238Bk | 233Bk |
| 98 | 239Cf | |
| 99 | 240Es | |
| 100 | 241Fm | |
External data and identifiers
Literature and References
[1] - Maris Hanson:
Uranium 233: The Nuclear Superfuel No One is Using.
In: Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental & Innovation Law, (2022).
Last update: 2023-04-23
Perma link: https://www.chemlin.org/isotope/uranium-233
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