Enrichment of chromium isotopes by gas centrifugation

Recently, chromium isotopes have been enriched using gas centrifuges that were developed by the United States Department of Energy for the purpose of enriching uranium in the fissionable isotope 235U. The process gas employed was chromyl-fluoride. The enrichment was carried out using a single gas centrifuge that was set up to emphasize the enrichment of the light isotope 50Cr, which has a natural abundance of 4.35%. The highest enrichment tested to date is 21.4%. Higher values are possible with additional repasses. The heavy isotopes 54Cr can be enriched instead of the 50Cr with an adjustment to the machine flows. Currently, work is under way to refine the cost projections associated with feed production and conversion back to an oxide and to optimize the centrifuge separative performance. (orig.)