Decay chain equilibrium is achieved, each successive daughter isotope is present in direct proportion to its half-life; but since its activity is inversely proportional to its half-life, each nuclide in the decay chain finally contributes as many individual transformations as the head of the chain, though not the same energy. For example, uranium-238 is weakly radioactive, but pitchblende, a uranium ore, is 13 times more radioactive than the pure uranium metal because of the radium and other daughter isotopes it contains. Not only are unstable radium isotopes significant radioactivity emitters, but as the next stage in the decay chain they also generate
Uranium nitride and, in particular, it undergoes an (n,p) reaction which produces significant amounts of radioactive C which would need to be carefully contained and sequestered during reprocessing or permanent storage. Each uranium dinitride complex is considered to have three distinct compounds present simultaneously because of decomposing of uranium dinitride (UN) into uranium sesquinitride (UN), and the uranium mononitride (UN). Uranium dinitrides decompose to uranium mononitride by the following sequence of reactions: Decomposition of UN is the most common method for isolating uranium sesquinitride (UN). Uranium mononitride is being considered as a potential fuel for generation IV reactors such as the Hyperion