Laser isotope separation of uranium

A research effort was carried out at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, for developing laser-based techniques for enrichment of natural uranium to reactor-grade (2.5% to 3.0% U), with the potential to be economically scalable to industrial production. Three approaches – two molecular, namely CO2 laser-based approach and UF6-based approach, and one atomic, namely Atomic Vapour Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) – were investigated. The AVLIS method was found to be the best, and was pursued to achieve the goal. In the AVLIS technique, uranium atomic vapour was isotope selectively ionized by three copper vapour laser pumped pulsed dye lasers, and the ions were collected by an electric field. This method could enrich uranium to several times the targetted figure. It is scalable, though some difficult technological problems have to be addressed. The basic scientific aspects of the three approaches and details of the AVLIS technique are presented in this paper.