Uranium enrichment using laser and plasma separation - an analysis focussing on export control

The Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, has under contract work financed by the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SKI, performed a study on uranium enrichment by laser-based processes and plasma separation. None of these processes are at present used on an industrial scale for uranium enrichment. However, these are processes of high efficiency which implicates that plants employing any of these processes for production of fissile material for nuclear weapons can be small in size and easily hidden. This has also been the case for laser enrichment. Special emphasis has been put on the understanding of the governing physical principles of the different processes. In the report the AVLIS and MLIS processes are described in some detail while CRISLA and SILEX are treated in less detail. The plasma separation process is described in a separate section. Limiting physical parameters for the different processes are discussed and equipment relevant to the different technologies is described. Further, some indicators of the different processes are identified and listed. In the final chapter known research programs where these processes have been used are listed. Since none of the described technologies has been used on an industrial scale, information on plant design and running is scarce