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Diagram of a gas centrifuge with countercurrent flow, used for separating isotopes of uranium. A gas centrifuge is a device that performs isotope separation of gases. A centrifuge relies on the principles of centrifugal force accelerating molecules so that particles of different masses are physically separated in a gradient along the radius of a rotating container.
The P1 centrifuge uses an aluminum rotor, and the P2 centrifuge uses a maraging steel rotor, [3] which is stronger, spins faster, and enriches more uranium per machine than the P1. In Pakistan, the Zippe-type centrifuge had a local designation and was known as Centrifuge Khan (after Abdul Qadeer Khan).: 151 [10]
English: Simplified diagram of a gas centrifuge used for uranium isotope separation with a countercurrent circulation for increased separation. The current in this example is induced by the bottom (waste) scoop, and the product scoop is behind a baffle, which is attached to and rotates with the rotor, to prevent it setting up equal but opposite current.
The input gas (here represented as a fairly even mix of U-235 and U-238, though in reality natural uranium hexafluoride would have less than 1% of U-235 in it) is released into the center of the centrifuge and the centrifugal forces force the heavier gas to concentrate at the edges of the centrifuge and the lighter gas at the center.
Large centrifuges are used to simulate high gravity or acceleration environments (for example, high-G training for test pilots). Medium-sized centrifuges are used in washing machines and at some swimming pools to draw water out of fabrics. Gas centrifuges are used for isotope separation, such as to enrich nuclear fuel for fissile isotopes.
Decanter centrifuges require a centrifugal force for the separation of the solids from the liquid. This characteristic is dependent on the radius of the centrifuge and its angular rotational speed. A decanter centrifuge applies a force equivalent to several thousand G's, which reduces the settling time of the particles.
In the chemical and food industries, special centrifuges can process a continuous stream of particle turning into separated liquid like plasma. Centrifugation is also the most common method used for uranium enrichment, relying on the slight mass difference between atoms of U-238 and U-235 in uranium hexafluoride gas. [5]
An ultracentrifuge is a centrifuge optimized for spinning a rotor at very high speeds, capable of generating acceleration as high as 1 000 000 g (approx. 9 800 km/s²). [1] There are two kinds of ultracentrifuges, the preparative and the analytical ultracentrifuge.