3. Centrifugation

3.1 General

The gas centrifuge separation process is based on the diffusion of the components of a mixture under the effect of a pressure gradient.

The separation of light particles in suspension by rapid rotation has long been known and used, for example, for skimming milk. The first application to molecules in a gas mixture was by Bredig in 1895. As early as 1919, Lindemann and Aston considered the use of gravitational fields to separate neon isotopes. The first centrifuge to operate in a rarefied atmosphere was used by Beams [11] to separate chlorine isotopes. The application of centrifugation to uranium enrichment by Beams in the USA and Groth [12]...