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Quote: "and though it takes roughly 100 pounds of it to build an atomic bomb...” Are they stupid at PM or just selling misinformation?
by richardatlarge 11mo ago
Quote: "and though it takes roughly 100 pounds of it to build an atomic bomb...”
Are they stupid at PM or just selling misinformation?
- dmurray 11mo agoThis matches other sources on the internet: a bomb requires about 15kg of U-235 [0] with a good use of neutron reflectors, and HEU by definition contains 20%+ of U-235 [1]. We don't know exactly what the U-235 concentration was in the Kodak device, but reasonable values would make the claim "roughly" correct. [0] https://www.britannica.com/technology/nuclear-weapon/Principles-of-atomic-fission-weapons https://www.britannica.com/technology/nuclear-weapon/Princip... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium
- _n_b_ 11mo agoTheir SNM license was for “up to 93.5% enriched”[1] and their decommissioning plan describes them as MTR-type Al-clad plates. So I’d take a reasonable guess that these are at 93% nominal enrichment, like ATR and HFIR fuel plates. [1] https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0900/ML090080661.pdf https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0900/ML090080661.pdf [2] https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ml0816/ML081690374.pdf https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ml0816/ML081690374.pdf
- cryptonector 11mo agoHEU != 20% enriched -- 20% is more like the floor for considering it HEU. You need much more than 20% to make an efficient Uranium bomb.
- jeffrallen 11mo agoAt least it wasn't "though it takes at least the equivalent of 12.5 bald eagles of it to build an atomic bomb"
- ahoka 11mo agoThe whole article is a journalistic nothingburger.