Separation of the Isotopes of Uranium by the Separation Nozzle Process

Abstract The separation nozzle process is based on the partial spatial separation of components of different mass in an expanding supersonic jet stream. The process is of especial interest for the separation of uranium isotopes. Details of a systematic experimental determination of the most favorable operating conditions for such a separation are given and the construction and testing of a closed circulation system, the basic unit of a ten membered pilot cascade separator for uranium isotope separation, is described. The optimum values of the specific cost factors obtained experimentally for the separation nozzle process are compared with the corresponding values estimated for the gaseous diffusion process.