France makes steady progress with lasers [enrichment]

With the CHEMEX process now a commercially available technology, the French Commissariat a l'Energie (CEA) is focussing its R and D activity on two enrichment processes: gaseous diffusion, and atomic vapour laser isotope separation (AVLIS or SILVA). The SILVA process is being developed, with particular attention being paid to test campaigns undertaken on the pilot unit installed at Saclay. A core of technical know-how is being maintained in gaseous diffusion in order to study the behaviour of, and possible improvements to, the newly named George Besse plant at the Tricastin site. (U.K.)