The Nuclear fuel cycle - By Bhuvan Aggarwal

Technology and innovations on the top-notch, aggressive consumption of energy, exhausted coal and petroleum? Water, wind, humble sources of energy, do not cause pollution, however, they do not produce much energy either.

What next?

Approaching the end of the periodic table for the search of more elements?

Fortunately, we found uranium just in time when we thought we approached the doom of energy resources. Uranium exists as three major isotopes in nature all of which are radioactive and hook up in the environment for a considerably long time releasing energy. This energy is enhanced and direction meticulously can be used in power plants and the production of atomic weapons.

Uranium-235 is most important for both nuclear reactors and weapons because it is the only isotope existing in nature to any appreciable extent that is fissile in response to thermal neutrons.

U-235 released in power plants as a result of slow reactions is only 3-5% in contrast to the 90% released in atomic explosions. However, its natural existence is just 0.7%. Hence, the major task is to enrich the energy of Uranium. A couple of approaches have been used, one of which is the gaseous diffusion technique. This tech encompasses forcing gaseous uranium hexafluoride through semipermeable membranes. This produces a slight separation between the molecules containing U-235 and U-238. Another modern method is centrifugation. This utilizes the difference in mass between U-235 and U-238. U-238 has a higher mass and therefore gets separated.

Then the energy is produced using control fission in the reactor. One uranium atom gives three neutrons. Heavy water is used to slow down the neutrons and produced heat is used to boil water and generate energy.

Roping up uranium to produce energy also reduces the emission of greenhouse gases as well as provides an alternate source of energy. But every coin has two sides and so is the use of uranium. Uranium is a constant threat to society and the planet in the form of nuclear weapons and the nuclear waste generated from the reactors. Hence, it is important to utilize whatever resources we have or are going to invest in a sane and judicious manner. 

Credits: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)