Plutonium - Several Compounds Of This Toxic, Radioactive Heavy Metal Are Pyrophoric And Burn When Exposed To Air

Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation states. It reacts with carbon, halogens, nitrogen, silicon and hydrogen. 

When exposed to moist air, it forms oxides and hydrides that expand the sample up to 70% in volume, which in turn flake off as a powder that can spontaneously ignite. It is radioactive and can accumulate in the bones. These properties make the handling of plutonium dangerous.....

At 135 °C plutonium will ignite in air and will explode if placed in carbon tetrachloride.[32] (Note; mixed wastes including plutonium plus toxic chemicals like this one were accepted at WIPP. High level wastes at WIPP are both hot temperature wise and emit radiation in the Billions of bequerels per Kg.)

Plutonium is a reactive metal. In moist air or moist argon, the metal oxidizes rapidly, producing a mixture of oxides and hydrides.[5] If the metal is exposed long enough to a limited amount of water vapor, a powdery surface coating of PuO2 is formed.[5] Also formed is plutonium hydride but an excess of water vapor forms only PuO2.[31]

With this coating, the metal is pyrophoric, meaning it can ignite spontaneously, so plutonium metal is usually handled in an inert, dry atmosphere of nitrogen or argon. Oxygen retards the effects of moisture and acts as a passivating agent.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutonium

Plutonium: several compounds are pyrophoric, and it causes some of the most serious fires occurring in United States Department of Energy facilities.[8]

Plutonium's pyrophoricity can cause it to look like a glowing ember under certain conditions. A pyrophoric substance (from Greek πυροφόρος, pyrophoros, "fire-bearing") is a substance that ignites spontaneously in air at or below 54.55 °C (130.19 °F)".[1] Examples are iron sulfide and many reactive metals including uranium, when powdered or thinly sliced. Pyrophoric materials are often water-reactive as well and will ignite when they contact water or humid air. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrophoricity

Allotropes of plutonium occurs in a variety of allotropes of plutonium, even at ambient pressure. These allotropes differ widely in crystal structure and density; the α and δ allotropes differ in density by more than 25% at constant pressure.

Plutonium normally has six allotropes and forms a seventh (zeta, ζ) under high temperature and a limited pressure range.[1] These allotropes have very similar energy levels but significantly varying densities and crystal structures. This makes plutonium very sensitive to changes in temperature, pressure, or chemistry, and allows for dramatic volume changes following phase transitions.[2] Unlike most materials, plutonium increases in density when it melts, by 2.5%, but the liquid metal exhibits a linear decrease in density with temperature.[3] Densities of the different allotropes vary from 16.00 g/cm3 to 19.86 g/cm3.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotropes_of_plutonium

Gundersen: Pyrophoric fire if fuel rods in Unit 4 pool are not cooled — Potential contamination of entire northern hemisphere (VIDEO) The fuel is still hot enough where it can begin to burn… cesium and plutonium and all that…It would volatilize as the fuel burns, it creates a pyrophoric fire which is a fire that water cannot put out.  Likely resulting in an evacuation of Tokyo at the least, and potentially contamination of the entire northern hemisphere. 

http://enenews.com/gundersen-pyrophoric-fire-fuel-rods-unit-4-pool-cooled-potential-contamination-entire-northern-hemisphere-video 

What happened to all of the spent fuel pools as the water boiled out of them? Reports of multiple fires did come out after 3/11, but TEPCO will not admit to any of these. No one has done an official survey of what is left in either the reactors, the spent fuel pools, nor has anyone found out where the melted coriums went from the three reactors TEPCO admitted to having melted down and through. 

What happened at the WIPP facility, which recently released plutonium, americium and other radioactive gases in unknown amounts?

It is hard to believe, but rocks and metal can burn. Here is an example of rocks that burned a hole through a pocket after being picked up at a beach.

Radioactive Plutonium Plume Coming Out of New Mexico's WIPP – Geological Nuclear Radioactive Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; via @AGreenRoad 

http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2014/02/radioactive-plutonium-plume-coming-out.html

What caused the release of plutonium from both Fukushima and now WIPP? Could the release have had something to do with plutonium being pyrophoric and igniting, and/or exploding due to being combined with chemicals in some form or fashion? 

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Plutonium - Several Compounds Of This Toxic, Radioactive Heavy Metal Are Pyrophoric And Burn When Exposed To Air; via @AGreenRoad
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2014/03/plutonium-several-compounds-of-this.html

More articles at;

Numerous, Severe Geological Problems Identified At WIPP Site, DOE Went Ahead Anyway With Illegal High Level Waste; via @AGreenRoad
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2014/03/numerous-severe-geological-problems.html

WIPP Ventilation System 'Unstable', Possibly Due To Underground Explosion, Another Explosion Possible AT ANY TIME via @AGreenRoad
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2014/02/wipp-ventilation-system-damaged.html

Radioactive Plutonium Plume Coming Out of New Mexico's WIPP – Geological Nuclear Radioactive Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; via @AGreenRoad
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2014/02/radioactive-plutonium-plume-coming-out.html

Long Term Storage Of Nuclear Fuel, Nuclear Waste Problems/Issues
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/p/recycling-or-long-term-storage-of.html