Posted on 01/03/2006 11:51:15 AM PST by West Coast Conservative
Iran, in what has been regarded as a major step, has announced development of technology to separate uranium from its ore.
The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization has achieved indigenous capability to separate uranium from its ore, officials said. They said the technology, known as a mixer-settler, would enable the extraction of uranium from the mined ore to produce concentrated uranium oxide, or yellowcake.
"The mixer-settler can be used effectively in the fuel cycle for producing zirconium and uranium," an Iranian engineer told state television on Jan. 1. "It minimizes the use of solvent and has a recycling mechanism." In 2003, Iran launched a project to extract uranium from a mine at Saghand, Middle East Newsline reported. Saghand, located in the province of Yazd, has an estimated 1.5 million tons of uranium ore.
The separation technology would enable the production of zirconium, a metal used to preventing corrosion in nuclear plants. Two liquids of different density are mixed to enable the compounds to move from one phase to another.
"Unfortunately, because of the problems that exist, it was not possible for us to buy this machine from abroad and we had to build it domestically," an Iranian official said. "Fortunately, we succeeded."
Uranium ore extraction has been regarded as a key element in the completion of the nuclear fuel cycle. The technology would enable Iran to become independent of foreign suppliers, including Russia. Russia has been the prime contractor of the $1 billion Bushehr nuclear reactor, scheduled to begin full operations in late 2006.
Iran plans to take the yellowcake to a facility for conversion into uranium hexafluoride gas, or UF6. At that point, the gas would be used for enrichment for use as either nuclear fuel or in nuclear weapons.
On Tuesday, deputy head of the Iran's atomic energy agency Mohammad Saidi said that nuclear fuel research will be resumed this week after a two year suspension.
1. Yellow cake
2. Sweet mint tea
3. Farsi publisher for memoirs
4. New burqa for the wench
If the mullahs keep it up, they will be memories only on urinecakes..
Missing Iraq uranium 'secured'
21 June, 2003
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has accounted for most of the uranium feared stolen from Iraq's largest nuclear site, Tuwaitha, reports say.
About 1.8 metric tons of "yellow cake" and 500 tons of unrefined uranium went missing as the Iraqis left Tuwaitha unattended during the war.
Tuwaitha was heavily looted for a period during the war, and there has been particular concern about barrels which once stored low-enriched uranium, known as "yellow cake".
But if this is nuke-lar stuff your talking about, let's send the clintoon couple over there to handle and visually inspect the stuff.
Then, if they both croak, we'll know Iran has the real thing.
"Trust, but verify."
Too funny. You take the cake!
Mmmmmmm...yellowcaaaaaake...
Yellow Cake with nuts?
see how much Iranian yellowcake can be stuffed down Joe Wilson's ugly mug......
Yes. But how are they coming with the frosting?
Next step: fudge icing.
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