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Stockpile of 60% enriched uranium reaches 25 kg: Iran

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Science & Technology
  • Published
    8th Nov, 2021

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.

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.

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