Author: Robert D. Nininger

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2015-08-04

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 9781332157471

Excerpt from Minerals for Atomic Energy When the curtain of secrecy was first lifted from the atomic energy program, much was written about the large amounts of energy that could be theoretically produced from uranium and other radioactive elements. It was soon a widely held opinion that this huge atomic program was based on very small quantities of uranium worth fabulous sums. A review of the technical literature also revealed that uranium was very widely dispersed throughout the earths crust and that almost all natural substances exhibited some radioactivity. Quickly the idea spread that almost anyone had a chance to get rich quick by finding uranium, literally in his own back yard. Although founded on a basic misconception, this "boom" did serve a useful purpose in arousing public interest in the search for uranium. In spite of the fact that uranium is not consumed in amounts comparable to iron, copper, or lead, its need is measured in tons rather than pounds, and the demand for it is greater than the presently available supply. During the first three years of its existence, the Atomic Energy Commission received more than 15,000 inquiries and more than 20,000 samples representing practically every natural substance (and some that weren't natural). Many of these inquiries concerned the "back yard" possibility, and many of the samples came from back yards. Other questions revealed equally serious misconceptions concerning the properties of naturally radioactive substances. Among other things, radioactivity from supposed deposits of uranium was blamed for making cows lose their hair, stopping watches, and for causing burns, fires, and a ringing in the ears. Other questions, however, were quite sound and to the point: "I have pitchblende on my land. What shall I do with it?" "How much is uranium ore worth?" "Is the Atomic Energy Commission interested in thorium?" "Where can I sell my uranium ore?" Do I need a license to mine uranium?" "How do I stake a mining claim?" As a result of these inquiries, the Atomic Energy Commission in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey published a booklet in 1949 called Prospecting for Uranium. This booklet treated briefly the subject of uranium prospecting and in one section answered specific questions of the type most commonly asked by the public. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.