This is DU:
DU is a cheap waste product of the nuclear industry in the production of nuclear fuel rods from uranium 235, but it still contains about 60 percent of the radioactivity of the original uranium ore due to its content of mainly uranium 238, a slowly decaying alpha emitter with a half-life of 4.5 billion years [2].
When DU enters the human organism, it is doubly dangerous: as a heavy metal, it is toxic, and as an alpha emitter, its radiation effect damages tissue cells in the lungs and other organs. When uranium weapons are used, for example against tanks and reinforced concrete structures, the targets hit are not only detonated in seconds, but part of the uranium projectile ignites due to the high temperatures caused by the frictional heat and an aerosol is formed, i.e. a metal gas consisting of microscopic particles of DU, which can be absorbed by people exposed to it through breathing, but also through food and drinking water.
Translated with
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DU ist ein billiges Abfallprodukt der Atomindustrie bei der Herstellung atomarer Brennstäbe aus Uran 235, enthält aber noch etwa 60 Prozent der Radioaktivität des ursprünglichen Uranerzes auf Grund seines Gehaltes an vor allem Uran 238, einem langsam zerfallenden Alpha-Strahler mit einer Halbwertszeit von 4,5 Milliarden Jahren [
2].
Wenn DU in den menschlichen Organismus gelangt, ist es doppelt gefährlich: Als Schwermetall ist es giftig und als Alpha-Strahler schädigt es mit seiner Strahlenwirkung die Gewebszellen in der Lunge und den übrigen Organen. Beim Einsatz von Uranwaffen, zum Beispiel gegen Panzer und Stahlbetonbauten, werden die getroffenen Ziele nicht nur in Sekunden zur Explosion gebracht, sondern ein Teil des Urangeschosses entzündet sich auf Grund der hohen Temperaturen durch die Reibungshitze und es entsteht ein Aerosol, das heißt ein Metallgas, das aus mikroskopisch kleinen Partikeln DU besteht und das von den Menschen, die dem ausgesetzt sind, über die Atmung, aber auch über Nahrung und Trinkwasser, aufgenommen werden kann."
Depleted Uranium and its hidden truth
First: The depleted uranium metal is much less materially expensive than the precious metal tungsten, as it is originally waste from the end of the uranium reaction in nuclear reactors.
Second: Depleted uranium is more stable in shape and metal density than tungsten, and this appears when it penetrates dense and thick metal shields.
Third: Depleted uranium generates a very high temperature that supports the stability of its speed of 1500 m/s and its trajectory towards the target after launch, and also increases its penetrating ability, as it reaches its temperature upon impact and penetration to about 4000 degrees Celsius, while tungsten does not exceed 2500 degrees Celsius.
It is, as Britain claims, an ordinary weapon that is not classified as a nuclear weapon, and does not have significant radioactive damage because most of the radiation it emits is of the alpha category and does not penetrate the skin of humans, but its radioactive toxicity is by inhalation only.
And we say this is correct, if the British Sabot bullets were not reinforced, as is the case with the American missiles known as the Silver Bullet, which contains, after the penetration head and in its neck, rings of diluted polonium, which is a mixture of polonium and depleted uranium, which crumbles during penetration and raises the temperature of the shell. to 5000 degrees Celsius, but it releases the whole spectrum of nuclear rays, including gamma rays!
Whereas in a tungsten shell, reinforced by NATO standards, with a non-radioactive frictional thermal detonator!
For new generations of depleted uranium shells M829A3, which are longer and surrounded by rings of diluted polonium to the end, that is, even the tail fins, and not only in the back of the penetrating head, as in the silver bullet M829A1, which creates a terrifying penetrating heat stream like a flaming knife penetrating a mold of butter, and thus it may threaten the armor of the revolutionary Russian storm T-90M tank including its external passive and dynamic added armor!
The Russian reactions will be likely as in the media, that Russia will respond by using highly limited tactical nuclear weapons, or the use of auxiliary weapons, which is closer to reality, i.e. the use of Russian sabot or penetrating kinetic missiles of depleted uranium as well, or the use of lethal thermal weapons that are no less lethal than nuclear weapons such as mercury thermal storm bombs or missiles. Russia is keen, under Chinese pressure, on non-nuclear escalation, and in the event that it resorts to decisiveness by escalation to reduce escalation, It has superior alternatives in the super thermo-blast, vacuum-nanotechnology, dual-action, chain-reactive, or mercury-thermal barium.