Weapons Plutonium (Noun)
Meaning
Plutonium 239 that is recovered when nuclear weapons are disassembled; it is stored in plutonium pits.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The dismantling of nuclear warheads yielded a large amount of weapons plutonium, requiring careful storage and disposal methods.
- Nuclear scientists often refer to the recovered material as weapons plutonium due to its high-grade composition suitable for re-use in other nuclear devices.
- Scientists warned of the environmental and health risks posed by improper storage of weapons plutonium.
- Storage facilities containing plutonium pits, often used to hold recovered weapons plutonium, have specific security measures to prevent any diversion or unauthorized access.
- Concerns regarding proliferation and the need for a centralized, highly secured repository drove discussions around storing recovered weapons plutonium in underground sites.