weapons-grade uranium
Enriched nuclear material
Weapons-grade uranium is uranium enriched to contain at least 90% of the isotope uranium-235, making it suitable for nuclear weapons.
Natural uranium contains less than 1% U-235; reactor fuel typically uses 3-5%.
The extreme enrichment required for weapons grade makes production difficult and detectable, which is why uranium enrichment programs draw international scrutiny: Intelligence agencies monitored the facility for signs of weapons-grade uranium production.
- enrichedMade more valuable
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- centrifugeSpinning density-separation device
- fissileAble to split apart
- nuclearOf atomic energy
warhead · atomic bomb · isotope · U-235 · reactor · nuclear facility · bomb · Manhattan · proliferation · arms race · cold war · Iran · rogue state · IAEA · smuggling · stockpile · implosion · refined
weapon, weapons, weaponry, weaponize, weaponized, weaponizing, weaponization, grade, grades