# Uranium oxide

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**Uranium oxide** is an [oxide](/source/Oxide) of the element [uranium](/source/Uranium).

The metal uranium forms half a dozen known oxides:

- [Uranium dioxide](/source/Uranium_dioxide) or uranium(IV) oxide (UO2, the mineral [uraninite](/source/Uraninite) or pitchblende)
- [Diuranium pentoxide](/source/Diuranium_pentoxide) or uranium(V) oxide (U2O5)
- [Uranium trioxide](/source/Uranium_trioxide) or uranium(VI) oxide (UO3)
- [Triuranium octoxide](/source/Triuranium_octoxide) (U3O8, the most stable uranium oxide; [yellowcake](/source/Yellowcake) typically contains 70 to 90 percent triuranium octoxide)
- [Uranyl peroxide](/source/Uranyl_peroxide) (UO2O2 or UO4)
- [Amorphous uranium(VI) oxide](/source/Amorphous_uranium(VI)_oxide) (*Am*-U2O7)

Uranium dioxide is [oxidized](/source/Oxidized) in contact with [oxygen](/source/Oxygen) to form triuranium octoxide.

- 3 UO2 + O2 → U3O8 at 250 °C (523 K)

## Preparation 38

During World War II, "Preparation 38" was the codename for uranium oxide used by German scientists.[1][2][3]

## References

1. Per F. Dahl, *Heavy water and the wartime race for nuclear energy* (Institute of Physics Publishing, London 1999), p. 135

1. [Uranium Oxide International Bio-Analytical Industries, Inc.](http://www.ibilabs.com/U3O8-MSDS.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130118072510/http://www.ibilabs.com/U3O8-MSDS.htm) January 18, 2013 at the Wayback Machine

1. Geoffrey Brooks (1992). *Hitler's Nuclear Weapons*. Pen and Sword. p. 40. ISBN 9780850523447.

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