AP: Iran Converts Uranium Into [Uranium Hexafluoride] Gas

AP, via Yahoo! ^ | 10/6/2004 | ALI AKBAR DAREINI

[Redcloak]

AP: Iran Converts Uranium Into Gas

25 minutes ago

Middle East - AP

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran has converted a few tons of raw uranium into hexafluoride gas needed for enrichment, a necessary step toward producing nuclear fuel or nuclear weapons, a top nuclear official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

AP Photo

Uranium hexafluoride gas is the material that, in the next stage, is fed into centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Uranium enriched to low level is used to produce nuclear fuel to generate electricity and enriched further can be used to manufacture atomic bomb.

Iran said last month that it has started converting about 40 tons of raw uranium being mined for enrichment. It maintains its intentions are peaceful energy purposes.

"We have converted part of the raw uranium we had and produced a few tons of uranium hexafluoride gas," said Hossein Mousavian, Iran's chief delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency. He would not specify how much. A few tons of raw uranium would be converted into about the same amount of hexafluoride gas.

"We are not in a hurry to do it. The few tons of uranium gas we've produces is an experimental process, not industrial production," Mousavian said.

Mousavian, who also heads the Foreign Policy Committee at Iran's powerful Supreme National Security Council, said the process was under full IAEA supervision.

"Every stage of the process is under full IAEA supervision. The agency knows of every milligram of uranium converted," he said.

[Redcloak]

At the risk of understatement, this is not a good thing; especially when one considers the long range missile test they did just recently. Conversion of uranium to uranium hexafluoride gas is a vital step toward producing nuclear weapons. The difference in mass between U₂₃₅ and U₂₃₈ can be exploited when the metal is in this gaseous state. And for those who don't understand the difference, it's the former that can go *BOOM!*.

[Lancer_N3502A]

Tick Tock

[zarf]

But, but Iran needs nuclear energy...they don't have any access to fossil fuels.

[Redcloak]

Oh, yeah... That's right... The U₂₃₅ must be so that they can have more energy to power more Western consumer electronics. </sarcasm>

Just remember: John Kerry wanted to give nuclear fuel to the Iranian mullahs... for energy production.

[jennyp]

Centrifuges are never used to refine uranium from uranium ore, are they? The only reason to go the centrifuge route is to separate U²³⁸ (used in A-bombs) from the U²³⁵ after the uranium's been refined from the ore, isn't it?

[jennyp]

Uh, nevermind. This scientist implies that it would be necessary for the normal enrichment that you'd do to make it suitable for a reactor.

[Redcloak]

As far as I know (And I'll leave more definitive responses to our resident Glow-boys), a nuclear reactor can run on mixed fuel; i.e. rods that contain both isotopes. I don't think that you need to pull out the U₂₃₅ to make the reactor work. The only real reason would be to obtain the isotope for weapons.

[DC Bound]

Do you know how many steps are left for them to make a bomb?

[7.62 x 51mm]

Hello, Israel? Fire-up the F-16s and re-fueling tankers. I wonder if they have any B-52s?

[Steely Tom]

This is all George Bush's fault, as any nuanced thinker knows.

Now, if John Kerry were in charge, he would have just given the Iranians the enriched fuel, and they would not need to take this dangerous, risky step.

(steely)

[aruanan]

But, but Iran needs nuclear energy...they don't have any access to fossil fuels.

Pretty much true, though they do have a lot of oil and gas.

[steveegg]

Mousavian, who also heads the Foreign Policy Committee at Iran's powerful Supreme National Security Council, said the process was under full IAEA supervision.

"Every stage of the process is under full IAEA supervision. The agency knows of every milligram of uranium converted," he said.

Considering Muslims and Europeans run the IAEA, I'm not at all reassured. After all, the IAEA "knew" of every milligram of uranium involved in North Korea before they got kicked out, and not only does Krazy Kim have nukes (or so he says), he and his minions fashoined the first couple BEFORE the IAEA got themselves kicked out.

[sweneop]

funny you should mention western consumer electronics... drive around tehran at all and you will see billboards for tvs and videos and mobile phones everywhere. you would be suprised how much stuff they have. much of iran is not like the dusty poor iraq we see on tv... well some of it IS like that, but much of it (especially north tehran) is tree lined, full of new peugots and the houses have big tvs and get european satellite from illegal roof dishes.

anyway, off-topic but your comment about consumer electronics made me think the picture people have of iran isnt quite what the reality is... and the reality is that they spend a lot of time in their homes (since most fun things are illegal) and the middle/upper classes spend a lot of money on these goods.

[ASA Vet]

Pretty much true, though they do have a lot of oil and gas

Let them burn fossilized camel dung.

[Diogenesis]

[Rutles4Ever]

Nothing to see here. Just Iran trying to reduce its dependency on Mid-East oil.

[A Real Dan Fan... NOT]

Within a couple of weeks, the storage facility housing the gas is probably going to have an "accident".
Big explosion. Lots of casualties.
Major bummer.

Try not to be real shocked.

[citizen]

I can only make 'U 235' and 'U 238' on my 1973 typewriter.

"How'd you do that?" asks Dan Rather.

[sheik yerbouty]

They can use their mullahs for fossils..

[ruiner]

Thats really nice of them to make efforts to share 100% of their oil with everyone else! With nuclear technology in Iran, there's no reason why they can't GIVE the oil to charity! How nice of them!