| U3O8 (Yellowcake):
| U3O8 or Yellowcake is milled and treated uranium ore. It is unrefined and contains natural uranium. Through conversion, it is treated to become UF6, Uranium Hexafluoride. |
| Conversion:
| Conversion is a service to convert the U3O8 into UF6. It is essential that the uranium be in the UF6 form for further refinement. |
| UF6
| Uranium Hexafluoride is a crystalline solid that easily sublimes into a gas. Through SWU, it becomes EUP. |
| Tails:
| Uranium tails are the leftovers from the UF6 refinement process, and are unusable for fission, and thus a waste product. Tails contain mostly U238, however, as the refinement process is not 100% efficient, a small amount of U235 remain in the tails. |
| Optimum Tails
| Optimum tails for Uranium represents the most cost efficient way of refining Uranium, with the smallest possible amount of U235 in the waste stream.
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| SWU
| SWU (Seperative Work Units) is a unit of measurement that refers the amount of energy necessary to enrich uranium by 1% by volume. It is the process used to convert UF6 into EUP. It is either done in a centrifuge or through gaseous diffusion. Centrifuge uses less energy and is more effective. |
| EUP
| Enriched Uranium Product is the final stage of the enrichment process. It is approximately 4-5% U235 by volume, significantly up from the 0.7% that occurs naturally. The EUP is suitable for use in reactors after it has been processed into pellets or fuel rods. |