Information AboutZippe-type Centrifuge |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ZIPPE-TYPE CENTRIFUGE | |
| centrifuges | |
| isotope separation | |
| uranium | |
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Natural Uranium consists of two Isotopes ; the majority (99.3 percent) is U-238 , while approximately 0.7 percent is U-235. If natural uranium is Enriched to contain 5 percent U-235 it can be used as fuel for Light Water Nuclear Reactor s. At 90 percent it can be used for Nuclear Weapons . that can spin at 1,500 revolutions per Second (90,000 RPM ). For comparison, Washing Machine s operate at only 15 revolutions per second. The device has a hollow, cylindrical Rotor filled with Gaseous uranium in the form of its Hexafluoride . A pulsating Magnetic Field at the bottom of the rotor, similar to that used in an Electric Motor , is able to spin it quickly enough that the U-238 is thrown towards the edge. The lighter U-235 collects in the centre. The bottom of the gaseous mix is heated, producing Current s that move the U-238 down. The U-235 moves up, where scoops collect it. To reduce Friction the rotor spins in a Vacuum . A Magnetic Bearing holds the top of the rotor steady, and the only physical contact is the Needle -like Bearing that the rotor sits on. After the captured scientists were released, Gernot Zippe was surprised to find that engineers in the West were years behind in their centrifuge technology. He was able to reproduce his design at the University Of Virginia in the United States , publishing the results, even though the Soviets had confiscated his notes. Later in Europe during the 1960s , Dr. Zippe and his colleagues made the centrifuge more efficient by changing the material of the rotor from Aluminium to a stronger alloy called Maraging Steel , which allowed it to spin even faster. This improved centrifuge design is used by the commercial company Urenco to produce Enriched Uranium fuel for Nuclear Power Station s. The Zippe-type is difficult to build successfully, and it requires very carefully machined parts. However, compared to other enrichment methods, it is much cheaper and can be used in relative secrecy. This makes it ideal for covert nuclear weapons programs and possibly increases the risk of Nuclear Proliferation . In 2004 Abdul Qadeer Khan , a Pakistani Engineer , admitted to operating a smuggling ring responsible for supplying at least three countries with Zippe-type centrifuges. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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