Post by Shadow on Jan 4, 2006 16:18:03 GMT -5
World Tribune
uesday, January 3, 2006
TEHERAN — 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."
uesday, January 3, 2006
TEHERAN — 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."