Enriched uranium

Enriched Uranium

Enriched uranium is a special kind of uranium that has more of a rare part called uranium-235. Normally, uranium found in nature has only a tiny bit of uranium-235 mixed with other parts, mostly uranium-238. But scientists can increase the amount of uranium-235 by a process called isotope separation.

This special uranium is used to make energy in nuclear power plants. It was first made during the Manhattan Project in the 1940s. One common method uses gas to separate the parts, and another uses spinning machines called centrifuges. After enrichment, the leftover uranium-238 is called depleted uranium, which is very dense and used for things like protection in vehicles.

Uranium taken from the Earth needs special preparation before it can be used as fuel in most nuclear reactors. It is first mined, either underground or in open pits, and then processed to remove the uranium from the ore, creating a material called "yellowcake" that contains about 80% uranium.

To make nuclear fuel, this uranium is turned into either uranium dioxide for some reactors or uranium hexafluoride for most others. Natural uranium contains mostly a type called uranium-238, with only a small amount of uranium-235, which is needed to produce energy in reactors. Most reactors need uranium with more uranium-235 than nature provides, called enriched uranium, usually between 3.5% and 4.5% uranium-235.

There are two main ways to enrich uranium: gaseous diffusion and gas centrifugation, both using uranium hexafluoride. Enriched uranium helps make nuclear power plants work better and produce clean energy.