PNNL-14480 Nuclear Proliferation Technology Trends Analysis M.D. Zentner G.L. Coles R.J. Talbert September 2005 Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830 DISCLAIMER This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor Battelle Memorial Institute, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or Battelle Memorial Institute. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY operated by BATTELLE for the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830 Printed in the United States of America Available to DOE and DOE contractors from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, P.O. Box 62, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0062; ph: (865) 576-8401 fax: (865) 576-5728 email: [email protected] Available to the public from the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161 ph: (800) 553-6847 fax: (703) 605-6900 email: [email protected] online ordering: http://www.ntis.gov/ordering.htm This document was printed on recycled paper. (9/2003) PNNL-14480 NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION TECHNOLOGY TRENDS ANALYSIS September 2005 M.D. Zentner G.L. Coles R.J. Talbert PNNL-14480 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................... i TABLE OF FIGURES........................................................................................................ ii TABLE OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... ii 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 2.0 TECHNOLOGY TRENDS ANALYSIS APPROACH ............................................... 1 3.0 ENRICHMENT TECHNOLOGY................................................................................ 3 3.1 GASEOUS DIFFUSION ENRICHMENT TECHNOLOGY HISTORY ................ 3 3.1.1 Technology Description..................................................................................... 3 3.1.2 Technology Development.................................................................................. 4 3.1.3 Countries that have used/attempted to use technology...................................... 7 3.1.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................... 11 3.1.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ................................................................. 12 3.2 CENTRIFUGE ENRICHMENT TECHNOLOGY HISTORY.............................. 12 3.2.1 Technology Description................................................................................... 12 3.2.2 Technology Development................................................................................ 15 3.2.3 Countries that have used/attempted to use technology.................................... 19 3.2.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................... 31 3.2.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ................................................................. 33 3.3 ELECTROMAGENTIC ISOTOPE SEPARTION TECHNOLOGY HISTORY .. 34 3.3.1 Technology Description................................................................................... 34 3.3.2 Technology Development................................................................................ 37 3.3.3 Countries that have used/attempted to use technology.................................... 38 3.3.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................... 40 3.3.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ................................................................. 41 3.4 CHEMICAL AND ION EXCHANGE ENRICHMENT TECHNOLOGY HISTORY ..................................................................................................................... 41 3.4.1 Technology Description................................................................................... 41 3.4.2 Technology Development................................................................................ 43 reductions in energy use, improved catalysts, and improved regeneration techniques must occur before the technology can compete with other enrichment processes. .. 45 3.4.3 Countries that have used/attempted to use technology.................................... 45 3.4.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................... 47 3.4.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ................................................................. 47 3.5 AERODYNAMIC ISOTOPE SEPARATION TECHNOLOGY HISTORY......... 47 3.5.1 Technology Description................................................................................... 47 3.5.2 Technology Development................................................................................ 52 3.5.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................... 54 3.5.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ................................................................. 55 3.6 LASER ENRICHMENT TECHNOLOGY HISTORY.......................................... 55 3.6.1 Technology Description................................................................................... 55 3.6.2 Technology Development................................................................................ 57 3.6.3 Countries that have used/attempted to use technology.................................... 57 3.6.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................... 58 3.6.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ................................................................. 59 4.0 REACTOR BASED TECHNOLOGY ....................................................................... 60 i PNNL-14480 4.1 GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTOR TECHNOLOGY HISTORY ................ 61 4.1.1 Technology Description................................................................................... 61 4.1.2 Technology Development................................................................................ 62 4.1.3 Countries that have used/attempted to use the technology .............................. 63 4.1.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................... 67 4.1.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ................................................................. 70 4.2 HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTOR TECHNOLOGY HISTORY....... 70 4.2.1 Technology Description................................................................................... 70 4.2.2 Technology Development................................................................................ 72 4.2.3 Countries that have used/attempted to use the technology .............................. 72 4.2.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................... 74 4.2.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ................................................................. 77 4.3 RESEARCH REACTOR TECHNOLOGY HISTORY ......................................... 77 4.3.1 Technology Description................................................................................... 77 4.3.2 Technology Development................................................................................ 78 4.3.3 Countries that have use/attempted to use research reactors............................. 78 4.3.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................... 81 4.3.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ................................................................. 83 4.4 REPROCESSING TECHNOLOGY HISTORY .................................................... 83 4.4.1 Technology Description................................................................................... 83 4.4.2 Technology Development................................................................................ 88 4.4.3 Countries that have used/attempted to use the technology .............................. 92 4.4.4 Technological Information Acquisition/Development .................................. 100 4.4.5 Required Concurrent Technologies ............................................................... 102 5.0 INSIGHTS AND CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................... 102 5.1 ENRICHMENT TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY .................................................. 102 5.2 PLUTONIUM PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY .......................... 103 Appendix A – Glossary................................................................................................... 104 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1 Stage Arrangement and components in a U.S gaseous diffusion plant............... 4 Figure 2 Sub-critical gas centrifuge components.............................................................