Gas centrifuge

The gas centrifuge is a hyper-centrifuge used to produce enriched uranium. It requires far less energy to achieve the same separation than the older gaseous diffusion process, which it has largely replaced.

Related Topics:
Centrifuge - Enriched uranium - Gaseous diffusion

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The gas centrifuge uranium enrichment process uses a large number of rotating cylinders in series and parallel formations. Centrifuge machines are interconnected to form trains and cascades. In this process, 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 U-238) move toward the outside of the cylinder and the lighter gas molecules (containing U-235) collect closer to the center. The stream that is slightly enriched in U-235 is withdrawn and fed into the next higher stage, while the slightly depleted stream is recycled back into the next lower stage. Significantly more U-235 enrichment can be obtained from a single unit gas centrifuge than from a single unit gaseous diffusion stage.

Related Topics:
Cascade - UF₆

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Large cascades of gas centrifuges are operated by France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and China to produce enriched uranium both for domestic use and for export, and by Japan for domestic use. A demonstration gas centrifuge plant is being built at Piketon, Ohio in the US by USEC for operation in 2005, and a full-size plant is planned for operation in 2010. Pakistan is widely believed to have constructed a smaller cascade in secret for military purposes.

Related Topics:
France - Germany - United Kingdom - China - Japan - Gas centrifuge - Piketon, Ohio - US - USEC - 2005 - 2010 - Pakistan

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