Gas centrifuge
A gas centrifuge, also known as a gas ultracentrifuge , is a centrifuge that is used to physically separate gases of different weights with the help of inertia .
It is used in uranium enrichment , among other things , to separate uranium hexafluoride gas into fractions with a higher proportion of 238 U on the one hand and a higher proportion of the somewhat lighter 235 U on the other. A large number of gas centrifuges must be connected in series for significant enrichment.
The physical separation of the isotopes on the basis of their atomic mass is necessary because their chemical properties are almost identical and chemical processes such as reduction or precipitation cannot be used.
Due to the very small mass differences of the various isotopes , a gas centrifuge has to work at very high speeds and be made of high-strength materials.
Compared to other enrichment processes, gas centrifuges require less energy. However, their construction is technically demanding and during the Cold War it played a major role in the race to develop increasingly powerful nuclear weapons.
Gas centrifuges were in 1945 in the Soviet Union largely through the after Sokhumi spent German scientist Max Steenbeck developed to technical applicability and today are the standard method for uranium enrichment.
See also
- Uranium enrichment - detailed description of the process
