Separation Techniques
There are three types of isotope separation techniques:
- Those based directly on the atomic weight of the isotope.
- Those based on the small differences in chemical reaction rates produced by different atomic weights.
- Those based on properties not directly connected to atomic weight, such as nuclear resonances.
The third type of separation is still experimental; practical separation techniques all depend in some way on the atomic mass. It is therefore generally easier to separate isotopes with a larger relative mass difference. For example deuterium has twice the mass of ordinary (light) hydrogen and it is generally easier to purify it than to separate uranium-235 from the more common uranium-238. On the other extreme, separation of fissile plutonium-239 from the common impurity plutonium-240, while desirable in that it would allow the creation of gun-type nuclear weapons from plutonium, is generally agreed to be impractical.
- See also: Enriched uranium
Read more about this topic: Isotope Separation
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