[bagman]

I suspect that the cyanide was used for processing the uranium. If the uranium is in the form of some chemical compound, then the cyanide might be used to extract it. I am speculating here, as I have not studied chemistry for many, many years (and I still think that this atomic theory of Dalton's is bunk - I'm sticking to the basic four elements!)

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I was thinking too that the cyanide could be used to process the uranium. I know that cyanide is used in certain metal plating processes, so it's not an outlandish idea that cyanide could be used in some sort of process with uranium.