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Natural uranium consists of three isotopes; the majority (99.274%) is U-238, while approximately 0.72% is U-235, fissile by thermal neutrons, and the remaining 0.0055% is U-234. If natural uranium is enriched to 3% U-235, it can be used as fuel for light water nuclear reactors. If it is enriched to 90% uranium-235, it can be used for nuclear ...
PUREX (plutonium uranium reduction extraction) is a chemical method used to purify fuel for nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons. [7] PUREX is the de facto standard aqueous nuclear reprocessing method for the recovery of uranium and plutonium from used nuclear fuel ( spent nuclear fuel , or irradiated nuclear fuel).
3) while the higher chlorides of uranium are prepared by reaction with additional chlorine. [6] All uranium chlorides react with water and air. Bromides and iodides of uranium are formed by direct reaction of, respectively, bromine and iodine with uranium or by adding UH 3 to those element's acids. [6] Known examples include: UBr 3, UBr 4, UI 3 ...
For example, deuterium has twice the mass of ordinary (light) hydrogen and it is generally easier to purify it than to separate uranium-235 from the more common uranium-238. On the other extreme, separation of fissile plutonium-239 from the common impurity plutonium-240 , while desirable in that it would allow the creation of gun-type fission ...
A very important case of ion-exchange is the plutonium-uranium extraction process , which is used to separate the plutonium (mainly 239 Pu) and the uranium (in that case known as reprocessed uranium) contained in spent fuel from americium, curium, neptunium (the minor actinides), and the fission products that come from nuclear reactors. Thus ...
Water purification combines a number of methods to produce potable or drinking water. Downstream processing refers to purification of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food ingredients produced by fermentation or synthesized by plant and animal tissues, for example antibiotics, citric acid, vitamin E, and insulin.
Pulsed columns then purify the plutonium, removing the troublesome fission products that remain. A mixer/settler (1C) is used to transfer (washes) the uranium across to the aqueous phase ready for the next stage. Uranium purification is achieved using three mixer settlers (UP1 - UP3) similar to those in use on the existing Magnox reprocessing ...
It is a type of thermite-based purification, which was patented in 1895 by German chemist Hans Goldschmidt. [3] Development of the Ames process came at a time of increased research into mass uranium-metal production. The desire for increased production was motivated by a fear of Nazi Germany's developing nuclear weapons before the Allies. The ...