U
Uranium · U
Uranium is a naturally occurring, dense metallic element that serves as a vital fuel for nuclear energy production.
About Uranium
Uranium is a heavy, metallic element that serves as a cornerstone of modern nuclear science. As a thermodynamically stable solid, it occupies a unique position in the periodic table, characterized by its complex electronic structure and high atomic density. Its ability to undergo fission makes it a critical resource for power generation and research applications globally. Due to its extensive study, there is a vast body of structural data available, reflecting its importance in both fundamental physics and industrial technology. The material is highly regarded for its stability and its role as a primary fuel source in nuclear reactors, where its specific electronic properties are harnessed to sustain controlled chain reactions.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Uranium, aggregated across 6 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of U. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for U, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P6/mmm (No. 191) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.389 | — |
| Cmcm (No. 63) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -79.942 | 20.11 |
| Im-3m (No. 229) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.247 | — |
| Cmcm (No. 63) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.000 | — |
| Cmcm (No. 63) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.000 | — |
| C2/c (No. 15) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.201 | — |
| Im-3m (No. 229) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.247 | — |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | 0.356 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0001 | 0.000 | — |
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0207 | -79.921 | 19.73 |
| P42nm (No. 102) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.0897 | -79.852 | 20.56 |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0922 | 0.092 | — |
Applications
Where Uranium is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Uranium, answered from cross-validated data.
What is U?
Uranium is a naturally occurring, dense metallic element that serves as a vital fuel for nuclear energy production.
What is U used for?
What is the band gap of U?
Is U a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is U thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of U?
What is the density of U?
How many polymorphs of U are known?
What elements does U contain?
Where does the data for U come from?
How It Compares
As a standalone elemental metal, Uranium defines the benchmark for heavy actinide behavior, serving as the primary reference point for all other uranium-based compounds and alloys in the field of nuclear materials science.
Data sources & attribution
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
- oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
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