Uranium Enrichment
Dr. Bagge developed a gaseous uranium enrichment device (Isotopenschleuse or isotope sluice) for enriching the U-235 isotope content of uranium in 1944, using three methods; centrifugal force, electromagnetism and thermal diffusion. It was built by BAMAG-MEGUIN under the direction of Kurt Diebner.
Yellow cake uranium oxide powder was reacted with hydrofluoric acid to form gaseous uranium hexafluoride. It was pumped into the sluice, which consisted of a centrifuge and spun at great speeds to fling heavier non-fissile 238U to the periphery. Electromagnets helped to keep 235U nearer the core of the centrifuge. Slight heating near the bottom of the "bowl" helped 238U to migrate to the bottom whilst 235U bubbled to the top of the chamber. Uranium hexafluoride gas with an enriched content of 235U was then sluiced off the top layers.
Bagge got a patent in 1955 for the isotope sluice but it never achieved any economic importance.
Read more about this topic: Erich Bagge
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