Isotope separation - partic. for enrichment of uranium-238 with U-235, by collecting sec. ions of each isotope between successive collision chambers

摘要

Sepn. of isotopes of a chemical element, partic. uranium comprises (a) creating a beam of prim. ions of a cpd. of the element; (b) accelerating the ion beam to cause it to traverse a series of collision chambers open at each end, arranged one behind the other and filled with an inert gas at low press., the molecules of which cause dissociation by inelastic shocks of a certain proportion of the ions into =2 fragments, one of which is a sec. ion in the form of =2 isotopic variations of the element to separate. (c) the sec. ions of each isotopic variety are collected between two successive collision chamber, in a self-contained attached device. In certain cases, and partic. in the sepn. of U-235 and U-238, method gives a better energy yield and better use of the dissociation reactions occurring in the collision chambers.