Appearance Plutonium is a radioactive silvery metal that tarnishes in air to give an oxide coating with yellow tinge. This produces the isotope 239 Pu, with a half-life of 24400 years. Uses Plutonium was used in several of the first atomic bombs, and is still used for explosives. The complete detonation of a kilogram of plutonium produces an explosion equivalent to over 10000 tonnes of chemical explosive.
Plutonium is also a key material in the development of nuclear power.
It has been used as a compact energy source on space missions such as the Apollo lunar missions. Biological Role Plutonium has no known biological role. It is toxic due to its radioactivity. General Information Plutonium is attacked by oxygen, steam and acids, but not by alkalis. The metal is warm to the touch because of the energy given off in alpha decay, and a large piece of the metal can boil water.