TEHERAN — Iran, in what has been regarded as a major step, has
announced development of technology to separate uranium from its ore.
The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization has achieved indigenous
capability to separate uranium from its ore, officials said. They said the
technology, known as a mixer-settler, would enable the extraction of uranium
from the mined ore to produce concentrated uranium oxide, or yellowcake.
"The mixer-settler can be used effectively in the fuel cycle for
producing zirconium and uranium," an Iranian engineer told state television
on Jan. 1. "It minimizes the use of solvent and has a recycling mechanism."
In 2003, Iran launched a project to extract uranium from a mine at
Saghand, Middle East Newsline reported. Saghand, located in the province of Yazd, has an estimated 1.5
million tons of uranium ore.
The separation technology would enable the production of zirconium, a
metal used to preventing corrosion in nuclear plants. Two liquids of
different density are mixed to enable the compounds to move from one phase
to another.
"Unfortunately, because of the problems that exist, it was not possible
for us to buy this machine from abroad and we had to build it domestically,"
an Iranian official said. "Fortunately, we succeeded."
Uranium ore extraction has been regarded as a key element in the
completion of the nuclear fuel cycle. The technology would enable Iran to
become independent of foreign suppliers, including Russia. Russia has been
the prime contractor of the $1 billion Bushehr nuclear reactor, scheduled to
begin full operations in late 2006.
Iran plans to take the yellowcake to a facility for conversion into
uranium hexafluoride gas, or UF6. At that point, the gas would be used for
enrichment for use as either nuclear fuel or in nuclear weapons.
On Tuesday, deputy head of the Iran's atomic energy agency Mohammad
Saidi said that nuclear fuel research will be resumed this week after a two
year suspension.