Why enrich uranium? Detailed analysis

The article tells about why enrich uranium, what it is, where it is extracted, its uses and what the process of enrichment consists of.

The beginning of the atomic age

Such a substance as uranium is known to people from the deepest antiquity. But unlike our time, they used it only to create a special glaze for ceramics and some types of paint. Used for this purpose is natural uranium oxide, the deposits of which can be found in various quantities on almost all continents of the world.

Much later, chemists became interested in this element. So, in 1789 the German scientist Martin Klaprot managed to obtain uranium oxide, which in its parameters was similar to metal, but they were not. And only in 1840 the French chemist Peligo synthesized real uranium - heavy, silvery and radioactive metal, which Dmitry Mendeleyev introduced into his table of periodic elements. So why do we need to enrich uranium and how does it happen?

Nowadays

In fact, natural uranium ore is not much different from the rest. These are massive cobblestones of rusty color, which are mined in mines in the most usual way - they blow layers of deposits and transport them to the surface for further processing. The fact is that the natural substance contains only 0.72% of the isotope U235. This is not enough for use in reactors or weapons, and then after sorting it is converted to a gaseous state and begins to enrich uranium.

In general, there are many methods of this process, but the most promising and used in Russia is gas centrifugation.

In a special installation, a gaseous uranium compound is injected, after which they are untwisted to enormous velocities and separation of heavier molecules from the lungs takes place and grouping them at the walls of the drum.

Then these fractions are separated and one of them is converted into uranium dioxide - a dense and solid substance, which is then packed into unique "tablets" and fired in an oven. It is for this purpose that uranium must be enriched, since the percentage of the isotope U235 is an order of magnitude larger on the output, and it can be used both in reactors and in weapon systems.

Export

If we give a simplified example, then the enrichment of this element essentially resembles the production of iron - in its original, natural form, it is nothing worthy of pieces of ore, which are then converted into strong steel by various treatments.

Also in the press it is often possible to hear the fact that many countries that are less developed compared with the same Russia often wonder how to make enriched uranium.

The fact is that this process, if we give an example with gas centrifuging, is very complicated, and not all of us can build such facilities. Moreover, we need not just one thing, but a whole cascade of them. In order to realize their technical level, it is worthwhile to say that these "drums" rotate at a speed of 1500 rpm and without stopping. Record - 30 years! Therefore, some countries buy enriched uranium in Russia.

Where is uranium mined in Russia?

Production of 93% of uranium ore is made in Transbaikalia, near the city of Krasnokamensk. And enriched uranium in Russia is produced by JSC TVEL.

Application

With the process of transformation into a highly efficient connection, we figured out, but why is it needed? We will analyze the two most basic directions.

The first is, of course, nuclear reactors. They provide electricity to entire cities, feed autonomous spacecraft to explore the far corners of our solar system, stand on submarines, icebreakers, research ships.

Second, these are weapons of mass destruction. The truth is to clarify - it was uranium in bombs has long been no longer used, it was replaced by weapons-grade plutonium. It is obtained through special irradiation in reactors of low-enriched uranium.

Myths and interesting facts

Often in the Soviet Union there was an opinion that especially dangerous criminals or "enemies of the people" are being sent to uranium mines so that they can atone for their fleeting labor. And naturally, they did not stay there for a long time because of radiation.

In fact, this is not so. There is no special danger in work at such extraction, natural ore is not very radioactive, and a person, if placed uninvolved in a mine, will die sooner from lack of sun and fresh air than radiation sickness.

Nevertheless, working conditions are sparing for workers, only 5 hours a day, and many work there for generations, debunking the myth of the terrible perniciousness of such production.

And from depleted uranium, by the way, do cores of weapons shells. The fact is that uranium is much heavier and stronger than lead, as a result of which such damaging elements are more effective, and still have the property of igniting as a result of destruction, after mechanical impact on them.

So we figured out what is needed for enriched uranium, where it is used and for what purpose.