Uranium is not, as one would think, anymore a rarity in this world. It’s more abundant than any mercury, silver and cadmium. It’s found in minerals such as pitchblende, uraninite, carnotite, uranophane, and tobernite. Uranium can be commercially produced from these minerals. A hyper-centrifuge known as the gas centrifuge is used for producing enriched uranium.

The processing of uranium ores gives uranium oxides. These uranium oxides contain U-235 and U-238 isotopes of which U-235 finds prolific use. It’s used in making bombs or to fuel a nuclear reactor in nuclear plants. 99% of the ore contains U-238 and so the priority is to separate the U-235 from the U-238 isotopes to increase the availability of U-235. The process of concentrating U-235 is called enrichment and this is done with the help of a gas centrifuge.

Uranium in gas form is easier to operate with. Hence in this process, the uranium hexafluoride is fed into a cylinder in the centrifuge and rotated at high speeds. The principle hazard regarding the centrifuges, though, is the handling of uranium hexafluoride gas. It reacts with moisture in air and can be poisonous if inhaled. It ensures care while handling. The speed in the cylinder is achieved with strong and well-balanced rotors. The centrifuge is interconnected to form trains and cascades.

Thousands of such cascades make a uranium enrichment plant. The rotation of cylinders creates a centrifugal force as a result of which the U-238 gas molecules, heavier in size, migrate to the outside of the cylinder and the U-235 molecules move towards the centre. The separation of these gas molecules is enhanced by relatively slow axial counter current flow of gas within the centrifuge. The enriched U-235 is withdrawn and passed on for further processes.

A gas centrifuge is also considered as a potential weapon of mass destruction because of its enrichment of U-235 which is used to make bombs. As the controversy gets down to the scanner it becomes very essential to make good use of the equipment.