What are enriched uranium and highly enriched uranium?

U-235 with a purity of 3% is low-enriched uranium for power generation in nuclear power plants, and uranium with a purity of more than 80% of U-235 is highly enriched uranium, of which the purity greater than 90% is called **grade high-enriched uranium, which is mainly used to make nuclear **.

Uranium cannot be touched directly!

Studies have shown that a person who carries about 1 pound of uranium ore in his pocket is exposed to the same amount of radiation every day as wearing a luminous watch. In the past, people also used uranium as a toner to make beautiful glass, which is uranium glass. Uranium was also used in pottery glazes in the past.

An intermediate product in the uranium ore purification process - yellow cake.

This is an intermediate product in the uranium ore purification process, called "yellow cake", which contains about 80% uranium oxide. You see, uranium ore is purified, and you dare to grasp it, let alone uranium ore that has not been purified.

Highly enriched uranium metal.

Nuclear fuel in nuclear power plants.

This is the nuclear fuel used in the nuclear power plant, and it is obtained from the continuous purification of the yellow cake, and you can still hold it in your hand even if you wear a pair of gloves.

In uranium ore, the uranium content is actually very low, from the dean of the School of Nuclear Science and Technology of Lanzhou University, Professor Wu Wangsuo, he told us in a public class that the uranium content is so low that a ton of ore can not extract a kilogram of uranium, that is, the content is less, and if the content is higher than the basics, it can be mined, what is the difference between this and gold panning in the sand? There is no difference.

The uranium ore can be purified and can be held in the hand, so you can imagine the level of radiation in a piece of uranium ore.

Speaking of which, it is estimated that some people will think like this: in this case, is there no need to take any protective measures when mining uranium ore?

No, on the contrary, uranium mining is heavily protected. Why?

Quite simply, uranium ore is buried underground, and although the half-life of uranium is measured in hundreds of millions of years, the amount of uranium in the entire uranium mine is very large. What's more, uranium ore is buried in the ground, it is sealed, and over the years, it gathers a lot of radioactivity, but note that this radioactivity is not directly brought by uranium-238 and uranium-235, but after uranium decays, it becomes radon, which is mainly brought by radon. The half-life of radon is only days, which is too short compared to the half-life of uranium, and a large amount of radon accumulates in uranium mines, which is very dangerous, so protective measures need to be taken.

In a word, the radiation from a piece of uranium ore is not that terrible, of course, if you put it next to your pillow for many years, it will not work.

Enriching uranium with a purity of at least 90% is required to make a nuclear bomb.

According to the definition of the International Atomic Energy Agency, uranium-235 with an abundance of 3% is low-enriched uranium for power generation in nuclear power plants, and uranium with an abundance of uranium-235 greater than 80% is highly enriched uranium, of which the abundance of more than 90% is called **grade highly enriched uranium, which is mainly used to make nuclear **.

Uranium-235 is a radioactive isotope with a neutron number of 143 in uranium (uranium), which is the only isotope that can be fissioned so far, mainly used as nuclear 1653 fuel in nuclear reactions, and is also one of the main raw materials for the manufacture of nuclear **. Uranium is an element with atomic number 92 and its element symbol is u, making it the heaviest element that can be found in nature.

In nature, uranium exists in three isotopes (uranium-234, uranium-235, and uranium-238), all of which are radioactive. The amount of uranium-235 in natural uranium is that its half-life is years, and it was discovered in 1935 by Canadian scientist Arthur Jeffrey Dempster.

Uranium is a rare chemical element found in nature and is radioactive. Uranium mainly contains three isotopes, namely uranium-238, uranium-235 and uranium-234, of which only uranium-235 is a fissile nuclear element, which can undergo a chain nuclear fission reaction under neutron bombardment, and can be used as a nuclear charge for atomic bombs and fuel for nuclear power plant reactors.

In natural ores there are three isotopes of uranium symbiosis, of which the content of uranium-235 is very low, only about. In order to meet the needs of nuclear power and nuclear power, some countries have built uranium enrichment plants, using natural uranium ore as raw materials, using isotope separation method to separate the three isotopes of natural uranium, so as to improve the abundance of uranium-235 and refine enriched uranium.

Something greater than 90 is called **grade highly enriched uranium.

Enriched uranium has now become the main raw material for nuclear power plants。A large-scale nuclear power plant can meet the basic use of our country for a year, and has become an important means for human beings to solve the energy crisis, but the existence of nuclear power plants is also a hidden danger, and once there is a safety world, it will face a great crisis.

Uranium: is a rare chemical element found in nature and is radioactive. Enriched uranium is refined from uranium-235, which is an isotope mixture of uranium before refining with the same melting point and cannot be separated.

Uranium-235 and uranium-238 can be separated by differential centrifugation with very high purity.

Enriched uranium is a radioactive metal, and in order to refine it, it must be extracted by gas centrifugation, which is then separated and enriched by centrifugal force.

Enriched uranium is uranium at a concentration of 3% obtained after the isotope has been refined. It can be refined by differential centrifugation.

Enriched uranium refers to uranium metal that has been isotopically refined, and the uranium content exceeds 90% of Guess, and the opposite of starvation is depleted uranium. Enriched uranium can be divided into highly enriched uranium, low enriched uranium and slightly enriched uranium according to the different uranium 235 content.

Uranium is an important chemical compound that is used to generate electricity for nuclear power plants. Theoretically, one kilogram of uranium-235 produces more than 20 terjoules. Most nuclear power plants use enriched uranium fuel with 3% uranium-235.

In life, this element is used in the wood and leather industries, in dyes and dyeing, in photographic chemicals, and in the limb filament used to make stage lighting bulbs.

Enriched uranium is mainly used to make nuclear **, and enriched uranium refers to uranium metal that has been isotopically separated and contains more uranium 235 than the natural content, as opposed to depleted uranium. According to the definition of the International Atomic Energy Agency, uranium-235 with an abundance of 3% is low-enriched uranium for power generation in nuclear power plants, and uranium with an abundance of more than 80% uranium 235 is highly enriched uranium, of which the uranium with an abundance of more than 90% is called **-grade high-enriched uranium.

Uranium enrichment is necessary for both the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the manufacture of nuclear power. Therefore, the IAEA wants to be able to control all uranium enrichment activities in countries around the world to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Enriched uranium can be divided into highly enriched uranium (HEU) (more than 20%), low-enriched uranium (LEU) (2%-20%) and slightly enriched uranium (SEU) according to the uranium-235 content. If the uranium-235 content exceeds 85%, it is called **-grade enriched uranium, and it is directly used to make atomic bombs.

1.Definition and preparation method of enriched uranium.

Enriched uranium is a slightly radioactive metal, usually defined as uranium with a higher uranium-235 content than natural uranium obtained by purifying the uranium-235 content in natural uranium. Enriched uranium has a wide range of applications in the field of nuclear energy, and it is one of the important raw materials for the manufacture of nuclear fuel, and it is also a necessary raw material for nuclear manufacturing. Methods for preparing enriched uranium include centrifugation, gas diffusion, gas ion exchange, wet extraction and other methods.

2.Applications in nuclear power generation.

Enriched uranium is one of the important raw materials for the manufacture of nuclear fuel. In a nuclear reactor, uranium-235 fissions under the action of neutrons and releases a large amount of energy at the same time, a process called nuclear chain reaction. The energy produced by fission can be used to heat water vapor, producing high-temperature and high-pressure steam to drive turbine generators to rotate, and then generate electricity.

Nuclear power plants provide clean, low-cost electricity reliably over a long period of time and have important economic and environmental value.

3.Applications in nuclear manufacturing.

Enriched uranium is also an essential raw material for nuclear manufacturing. Since uranium-235 has a higher fission probability than uranium-238, only high concentrations of uranium-235 can be used to make nuclear**. At present, a variety of uranium enrichment technologies have been developed in the world, which can achieve efficient separation and purification of uranium-235, which provides technical support for the research and development and production of nuclear **.

4.Applications in medicine and scientific research.

In addition to its applications in nuclear power and military fields, enriched uranium is also used in medical and scientific research. In medicine, enriched uranium can be used for certain malignant tumors, such as kidney cancer, lymphoma, etc. In scientific research, enriched uranium can be used to prepare radioactive sources in laboratories, and is often used to study chemical reactions, materials science, astronomy, and other fields.

5.Safety hazards and management.

Enriched uranium is a radioactive material, so it has certain safety risks. Long-term exposure may cause chronic damage to human health, such as causing cancer, radiation sickness, etc. Therefore, the storage, transportation and use of enriched uranium need to be strengthened.

At the same time, the emergency response and follow-up treatment of accidents such as enriched uranium leakage require strict plans and measures.

6.Environmental Impact & Management.

The extraction and processing of enriched uranium may also have some environmental impacts. The wastewater, exhaust gases and radioactive waste they produce need to be strictly managed and treated to avoid damage to the environment and ecology. In addition, during the operation of nuclear power plants, a series of protective measures need to be taken to ensure the safety of the surrounding environment and residents.

1.What is enriched uranium.

Enriched uranium is a uranium isotope that is found in a lower proportion of natural uranium, and its chemical symbol is U-235. Compared with U-238, the content of Bubishan U-235 is very small, only about it. Therefore, in order to obtain sufficient enriched uranium, refining and enrichment needs to be carried out in uranium ore.

2.The process of refining and enriching uranium enrichment.

The uranium content in uranium ore is very low, usually only to. In order to obtain higher purity enriched uranium, refining and enrichment are required.

The refining and concentration process mainly includes:

Mining and crushing of uranium ore.

Leaching of uranium ore.

Solution treatment. Precipitation and filtration of uranium.

Concentrate and refine.

3.Applications of enriched uranium.

Enriched uranium is widely used in nuclear power generation, nuclear manufacturing, radioisotope preparation and other fields.

In nuclear power generation, enriched uranium is used as fuel in nuclear reactors. The nuclear fuel rods in a nuclear reactor contain blocks of enriched uranium, which are released through the nuclear reaction and converted into heat energy that is used to generate steam to drive turbines to generate electricity.

In nuclear manufacturing, enriched uranium is used as a raw material for the manufacture of nuclear **. Through the nuclear fission reaction, a large amount of energy is produced and nucleons are released, which produces the most destructive force.

In the preparation of radioisotopes, enriched uranium is used in the preparation of medical radioisotopes, which are commonly used in medical diagnosis and **.

4.Safety issues for enriched uranium.

Enriched uranium is extremely radioactive, and if not well controlled and managed, it can cause serious harm to the human body and ecological pollution.

In the process of nuclear power generation, factors such as loss of control of nuclear fuel-type medium rods, accidents or malicious attacks can lead to the leakage of enriched uranium and the leakage of radioactive materials. In order to ensure nuclear safety, regulation, management and technological renewal must be strengthened.

In nuclear manufacturing, both the illegal use of enriched uranium and malicious theft could lead to the threat and serious consequences of nuclear terrorism. The international community should strengthen international cooperation to jointly safeguard global nuclear security.

5.Conclusion.

Enriched uranium is an important material widely used in nuclear energy, nuclear weapons and medicine, and has important strategic significance and economic value. At the same time, it is crucial to ensure that it is safe to use.

We must strengthen regulation and management, strengthen scientific and technological innovation, develop low-carbon and clean energy, reduce dependence on enriched uranium, and promote global energy transition and sustainable development.