BBC Focus Magazine

[David Young]

Apart from weapons, can plutonium be used for anything practical? In particular, are there any civilian uses for this element?

[M Paul Lloyd]

Well it can be used to generate power for things like satellites and space probes and if memory serves the likes of Pioneer, Voyager and Cassini Huygens all used Plutonium as a power source.

Plus it also has numerous medical applications, I can't actually quote you any off hand right now but I'm sure I can find some... unless anyone else would care to try beating me to it?

[The Beige Avenger]

don't think there's anything a civilian (non-science, non-military) could use plutonium for... assuming non-nefariousness.

Depending on the isotope, or the ratios of isotopes present within a sample, it's got different uses.

From bombs to power stations and as power sources themselves.

AFAIK, there's no medical uses for it....

It's dangerous stuff like. Shouldn't be handled by numpties. It commonly emits alpha particles, which are extremely ionising and therefore, if you touch it, you'll soon know. As well as that, pure plutonium is quite unstable in a normal atmosphere and can explode as it oxidises / hydrates.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I have to agree with Mr.A here, on further investigation plutonium would seem to have no direct medical applications, other than perhaps as a power source for some prosthetic appliances.

[Jamie]

Here are the ones they like to stick in space probes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisoto ... _generator

[Healerman]

Another issue with the use of plutonium is that it is extremely toxic and this could kill you far quicker than any radiation effects.

Nasty stuff!

[David Young]

Could you really have a power station that used plutonium as a fuel? I was under the impression that the power obtained from this element was either low-level (from its natural decay) or huge (from its detonation). Could it be used the same way as uranium fuel pellets?

[Shadowwolf]

You could have it in power stations and do, it's the principle component of MOX fueled reactors. But to get it you have to take spent uranium fuel from more standard reactors or breeder reactors, which are also used to get the stuff for weapons purposes.

I think plutonium was mostly intended for weapons purposes due to the ease at which you can make it go bang.