Uranium enrichment

This video on uranium enrichment in cascade centrifuges is available for purchase at : http://nuclear.stockaninews.com/iran-nuclear.html

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• uranium
• enrichment
• cascade
• centrifuges
• iran
• nuclear
• program
• U235
• u238

[kamal1633ca]

In this process, uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas is placed in a cylinder and rotated at a high speed. This rotation creates a strong centrifugal force so that the heavier gas molecules, containing uranium-238 (U-238), move toward the outside of the cylinder and the lighter gas molecules, containing uranium-235 (U-235), collect closer to the center.

[Chainiky]

what is the blue?

and what is the red?

[marmaladekamikaze]

@MrTheStiffmeister

I think they use that 'depleted uranium waste' for Kinetic energy penetrators. So it isn't waste at all, not to mention a lot of planes use Depleted Uranium as counterweights.

[QuantumOverlord]

@kamal1633ca Is it centrifugal force, I thought it was centripetal? I know they both exist so please correct me if im wrong.

[vmelkon]

@ArsiniC11 The lighter stuff should move to the center. That would be the U235 (UF6) in red.

[dieselscience]

@MrTheStiffmeister Actually, next to none is depleted or waste during enrichment. DU comes from what's left over when the fuel is used in a power plant. "Military grade" is the same as any other grade except for concentration percentage.

[ArsiniC11]

@Chainiky

I believe the blue represents the more enriched solution (meaning higher concentration of U-235) and red is 'waste' you could say. As you can see they both get fed into different tubes where they will be channeled off to feed other centrifuges for further enrichment

[MrTheStiffmeister]

@imedbone yeah but think about all the depleted uranium waste produced when enriching military grade uranium.

[imedbone]

so much nuclear waste for no good reason. commercial reactors only use ~4% enriched and have to refuel every few years. but military reactors are 96%+ enriched and can run for 30 years on less than 20lbs of u235.

[vmelkon]

@kamal1633ca hmmm, I didn't know that was the method used in Iran. Perhaps another method is by melting the uranium in vaccuum. The lighter U235 will evaporate first and collect at the top on the colder surface.

[yourboycal]

@kamal1633ca it takes alot to enrich uranium with many parts that cost alot of money =p If you had the money , you wouldnt be on youtube. you would have it delivered by careless countries like israel and usa

[racookster]

Bwa-ha-ha! Now I know how eet ees done! I shall build a thousand of these centrifuges and sell theem to the highest bidder, and thus I shall become reech and powerful! BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!

Well, maybe. Or maybe I'll just brew beer in 'em.