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It can and it is Although U-238 is not very radioactive -- it's sometimes called depleted Uranium -- it is used as a "tamper" in the core of nuclear warhead. Its use as a tamper greatly increases the yield energy of the device. Wikipedia has a pretty good article to check out. Uranium 238 is not fissionable with thermal neutrons; uranium 238 cannot be used in bombs as fissionable, explosive material.

However as the final stage tamper of a hydrogen bomb the high energy fusion neutrons will fission Uranium-238, possibly generating 90% of the yield and a corresponding amount of the fallout of such bombs.

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8y ago

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