Nuclear Power Related Media Thread, page-5779

ASP Isotope are setting up a subsidiary "quantum leap energy" for uranium (see HERE). ASP Isotopes is only use aerodynamic separation for elements other than uranium (as MG said Iceland is their target location - its very energy intensity - cheap electricity in Iceland). Technical papers show that aerodynamic separation is energy intensive and a low enrichment factor (see HERE) and unsuitable for high atomic mass elements (e.g uranium). Evidently ASP isotope's subsidiary (Quantum Leap Energy)is proposing to use AVLIS (Atomic Vapour Laser Isotope Enrichment) for uranium - this was abandoned by USEC (the predecessor of Centrus) in 1999 (see HERE) after spending US$1.8Bn & 26 years on development only to then move ahead with Silex (which it then dropped in 2003). There were many problems with AVLIS a major issue was:

- Liquid uranium was used as feedstock which was then vaporized by an electron beam heating energy for uranium vaporization - uranium vapour is highly corrosive at very high temperatures (2729^oK @ 1 torr). The problem is that uranium metal is not "standard" feedstock and the ionizing laser needs careful protection as also does the vacuum chamber for separation. As MG indicated at the AGM whislt the enrichment factor may be high the throughput is very low.

More details are available HERE - IMO ASPI "fly a kite" and given the immense efforts made by US and other countries - I would be surprised if South Africa (the domicile of ASP isotopes) was able to make the breakthrough and then convince the USA that they were a viable supplier (with all the security clearances and NRC approvals that would entail). Like MG IMO not a credible threat for uranium (and probably not for other elements also - there using aerodynamic separation in Iceland)