This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 130.94.122.xxx (talk) at 08:12, 4 February 2002. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 08:12, 4 February 2002 by 130.94.122.xxx (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Enriched uranium is uranium whose uranium-235 content has been increased. Natural uranium contains about 1 percent U-235. Uranium to be used in commercial nuclear reactors has about 3 percent U-235. Highly enriched uranium, which is used in nuclear submarine reactors and nuclear weapons, contains at least 50 percent U-235. The U-238 which has been separated from the U-235 is known as depleted uranium.
There are a number of processes for enriching uranium. Uranium can be converted to uranium hexafluoride and then sent through filters or put into ultra-centrifuges. The ability to enrich uranium is of interest to those concerned about nuclear weapons prolieferation.