Stockpile of 60% enriched uranium reaches 25 kg: Iran
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Science & Technology
- Published
8th Nov, 2021
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Context
Iran has increased its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium to 25 kilograms (55 pounds), potentially adding to complications dogging efforts to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal
- The nuclear deal caps the purity to which Tehran can refine uranium at 3.67%, the level suitable for most civilian nuclear energy, well under the 20% achieved before the 2015 deal and far below the 90% suitable for a nuclear weapon.
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What is enriched uranium?
- Uranium is naturally occurring element.
- It can have nuclear-related uses once it has been refined, or enriched.
- This is achieved by increasing the content of its most fissile isotopes, U-235, through the use of centrifuges - machines which spin at supersonic speeds.
Types
- Low-enriched uranium, which typically has a 3-5% concentration of U-235, can be used to produce fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.
- Highly enriched uranium has a purity of 20% or more and is used in research reactors. Weapons-grade uranium is 90% enriched or more.
