Iranian Nuclear Bomb?
Discussion
Just why is it taking Iran so long to construct a nuclear bomb? The world has moved on a lot since the first nuclear bombs where created in the 1940s. Although the details of the devices are classified the general principles are now well known and the quality of machine tools and computers have advanced hugely.
I would assume Iran has a reasonable level of technical sophistication, so why have they been working on the problem for so long with so little end result?
From wiki:
"“The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program. The support, encouragement and participation of the United States and Western European governments in Iran's nuclear program continued until the 1979 Iranian Revolution that toppled the Shah of Iran.
After the 1979 revolution, the Iranian government temporarily disbanded elements of the program, and then revived it with less Western assistance than during the pre-revolution era. Iran's nuclear program has included several research sites, a uranium mine, a nuclear reactor, and uranium processing facilities that include three known uranium enrichment plants."
I would assume Iran has a reasonable level of technical sophistication, so why have they been working on the problem for so long with so little end result?
From wiki:
"“The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program. The support, encouragement and participation of the United States and Western European governments in Iran's nuclear program continued until the 1979 Iranian Revolution that toppled the Shah of Iran.
After the 1979 revolution, the Iranian government temporarily disbanded elements of the program, and then revived it with less Western assistance than during the pre-revolution era. Iran's nuclear program has included several research sites, a uranium mine, a nuclear reactor, and uranium processing facilities that include three known uranium enrichment plants."
Enriching uranium is a very time consuming and expensive process, if you can't get some from elsewhere, which is tricky.
Probably hype, in the short term.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium
Probably hype, in the short term.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium
The snag is the purification of UF6. Since it's weight is 352g/mol and the lighter stuff (which they want) is 349g/mol and the chemical properties are identical, the only way to separate them is by either a cascade of centrifuges (massive massive massive operation, hugely expensive).
The other way is by giving the ATOMS (v v v v v v small) a charge and then using a powerful magnetic field to separate them significantly as to allow them to be re-distributed.....
Using a "magic ray" to ionise the lighter molecules only and then an electrostatic separation method.
The last 2 methods are a couple of propsed alternatives to the centrifuges. I'm not sure they have got beyond the theory/small scale stage.
The chemistry isn't exactly easy either. Pitchblende ore (lowish grade) to pure Uranium Oxide and then that to Uranium Hexaflouride and then the purification to Uranium (metal).
Plutonium is even worse, from a spontaneous fission by Pu240 impurity and it's toxicity/tendancy to spontaneously combust!
It's f
king highly unlikely they could get it together.
If they even thought about it too much, there would be a James Bond style ending where a lot of the place was turned to glass!
The other way is by giving the ATOMS (v v v v v v small) a charge and then using a powerful magnetic field to separate them significantly as to allow them to be re-distributed.....
Using a "magic ray" to ionise the lighter molecules only and then an electrostatic separation method.
The last 2 methods are a couple of propsed alternatives to the centrifuges. I'm not sure they have got beyond the theory/small scale stage.
The chemistry isn't exactly easy either. Pitchblende ore (lowish grade) to pure Uranium Oxide and then that to Uranium Hexaflouride and then the purification to Uranium (metal).
Plutonium is even worse, from a spontaneous fission by Pu240 impurity and it's toxicity/tendancy to spontaneously combust!
It's f
king highly unlikely they could get it together.If they even thought about it too much, there would be a James Bond style ending where a lot of the place was turned to glass!
Tangent Police said:
The snag is the purification of UF6. Since it's weight is 352g/mol and the lighter stuff (which they want) is 349g/mol and the chemical properties are identical, the only way to separate them is by either a cascade of centrifuges (massive massive massive operation, hugely expensive).
The other way is by giving the ATOMS (v v v v v v small) a charge and then using a powerful magnetic field to separate them significantly as to allow them to be re-distributed.....
Using a "magic ray" to ionise the lighter molecules only and then an electrostatic separation method.
The last 2 methods are a couple of propsed alternatives to the centrifuges. I'm not sure they have got beyond the theory/small scale stage.
The chemistry isn't exactly easy either. Pitchblende ore (lowish grade) to pure Uranium Oxide and then that to Uranium Hexaflouride and then the purification to Uranium (metal).
Plutonium is even worse, from a spontaneous fission by Pu240 impurity and it's toxicity/tendancy to spontaneously combust!
It's fking highly unlikely they could get it together.
If they even thought about it too much, there would be a James Bond style ending where a lot of the place was turned to glass!
You have only gone and told them how to do it now. The other way is by giving the ATOMS (v v v v v v small) a charge and then using a powerful magnetic field to separate them significantly as to allow them to be re-distributed.....
Using a "magic ray" to ionise the lighter molecules only and then an electrostatic separation method.
The last 2 methods are a couple of propsed alternatives to the centrifuges. I'm not sure they have got beyond the theory/small scale stage.
The chemistry isn't exactly easy either. Pitchblende ore (lowish grade) to pure Uranium Oxide and then that to Uranium Hexaflouride and then the purification to Uranium (metal).
Plutonium is even worse, from a spontaneous fission by Pu240 impurity and it's toxicity/tendancy to spontaneously combust!
It's f
king highly unlikely they could get it together.If they even thought about it too much, there would be a James Bond style ending where a lot of the place was turned to glass!
Oily Nails said:
Tangent Police said:
Crazy Ass Science Stuff
Congratulations for being the first PH'er to post on here and make me truly believe that the PH collective IQ is greater than the number of members 
He could be talking s
t and we wouldn't be able to tell anyway! I doubt this though, am I allowed in his 'Want To Keep When World Ends' list of people?
dudleybloke said:
the types of metals used in nuclear industries are highly controlled and despite innovations such as carbon fibre centrifuge rotors its difficult to get things done without the west finding out.
Tangent Police said:
The snag is the purification of UF6. Since it's weight is 352g/mol and the lighter stuff (which they want) is 349g/mol and the chemical properties are identical, the only way to separate them is by either a cascade of centrifuges (massive massive massive operation, hugely expensive).
The other way is by giving the ATOMS (v v v v v v small) a charge and then using a powerful magnetic field to separate them significantly as to allow them to be re-distributed.....
Using a "magic ray" to ionise the lighter molecules only and then an electrostatic separation method.
The last 2 methods are a couple of propsed alternatives to the centrifuges. I'm not sure they have got beyond the theory/small scale stage.
The chemistry isn't exactly easy either. Pitchblende ore (lowish grade) to pure Uranium Oxide and then that to Uranium Hexaflouride and then the purification to Uranium (metal).
Plutonium is even worse, from a spontaneous fission by Pu240 impurity and it's toxicity/tendancy to spontaneously combust!
It's fking highly unlikely they could get it together.
If they even thought about it too much, there would be a James Bond style ending where a lot of the place was turned to glass!
I think they might want to talk to you The other way is by giving the ATOMS (v v v v v v small) a charge and then using a powerful magnetic field to separate them significantly as to allow them to be re-distributed.....
Using a "magic ray" to ionise the lighter molecules only and then an electrostatic separation method.
The last 2 methods are a couple of propsed alternatives to the centrifuges. I'm not sure they have got beyond the theory/small scale stage.
The chemistry isn't exactly easy either. Pitchblende ore (lowish grade) to pure Uranium Oxide and then that to Uranium Hexaflouride and then the purification to Uranium (metal).
Plutonium is even worse, from a spontaneous fission by Pu240 impurity and it's toxicity/tendancy to spontaneously combust!
It's f
king highly unlikely they could get it together.If they even thought about it too much, there would be a James Bond style ending where a lot of the place was turned to glass!
croyde said:
Tangent Police said:
The snag is the purification of UF6. Since it's weight is 352g/mol and the lighter stuff (which they want) is 349g/mol and the chemical properties are identical, the only way to separate them is by either a cascade of centrifuges (massive massive massive operation, hugely expensive).
The other way is by giving the ATOMS (v v v v v v small) a charge and then using a powerful magnetic field to separate them significantly as to allow them to be re-distributed.....
Using a "magic ray" to ionise the lighter molecules only and then an electrostatic separation method.
The last 2 methods are a couple of propsed alternatives to the centrifuges. I'm not sure they have got beyond the theory/small scale stage.
The chemistry isn't exactly easy either. Pitchblende ore (lowish grade) to pure Uranium Oxide and then that to Uranium Hexaflouride and then the purification to Uranium (metal).
Plutonium is even worse, from a spontaneous fission by Pu240 impurity and it's toxicity/tendancy to spontaneously combust!
It's fking highly unlikely they could get it together.
If they even thought about it too much, there would be a James Bond style ending where a lot of the place was turned to glass!
You have only gone and told them how to do it now. The other way is by giving the ATOMS (v v v v v v small) a charge and then using a powerful magnetic field to separate them significantly as to allow them to be re-distributed.....
Using a "magic ray" to ionise the lighter molecules only and then an electrostatic separation method.
The last 2 methods are a couple of propsed alternatives to the centrifuges. I'm not sure they have got beyond the theory/small scale stage.
The chemistry isn't exactly easy either. Pitchblende ore (lowish grade) to pure Uranium Oxide and then that to Uranium Hexaflouride and then the purification to Uranium (metal).
Plutonium is even worse, from a spontaneous fission by Pu240 impurity and it's toxicity/tendancy to spontaneously combust!
It's f
king highly unlikely they could get it together.If they even thought about it too much, there would be a James Bond style ending where a lot of the place was turned to glass!
monel is one controlled metal.
have to get a home office licence to export it because it could be used in the nuclear industry.
the problem comes when they buy things for the oil industry that could be used/converted to other uses.
only certain materiels can be used for the centrifuges because they operate at VERY high rpms constantly and lesser metals would quickly fail rather spectaculary.
have to get a home office licence to export it because it could be used in the nuclear industry.
the problem comes when they buy things for the oil industry that could be used/converted to other uses.
only certain materiels can be used for the centrifuges because they operate at VERY high rpms constantly and lesser metals would quickly fail rather spectaculary.
Edited by dudleybloke on Tuesday 9th February 18:23
dudleybloke said:
monel is one controlled metal.
have to get a home office licence to export it because it could be used in the nuclear industry.
It's not as if you couldn't knock it up from it's components. have to get a home office licence to export it because it could be used in the nuclear industry.
It's a good job that the Iranian's don't have the initiative to access Western educational materials, the internet or metals technology!
I don't think the particular hurdle to production is the raw materials for setting up a centrifuge plant, (they do have U orebodies) and the actual "doing it" without being spotted from space!
I think we give ourselves too much kudos to regulate them and credit them with too little ability/resources.
If they could do it and power it without getting spotted from space, I'd be very interested. Any underground facility would create huge spoil heaps and then there is the question of how you power it.....
We shall see eh?
Tangent Police said:
If they could do it and power it without getting spotted from space, I'd be very interested. Any underground facility would create huge spoil heaps and then there is the question of how you power it.....
We shall see eh?
I thought the "secret underground facility " was already found We shall see eh?
Tangent Police said:
dudleybloke said:
monel is one controlled metal.
have to get a home office licence to export it because it could be used in the nuclear industry.
It's not as if you couldn't knock it up from it's components. have to get a home office licence to export it because it could be used in the nuclear industry.
It's a good job that the Iranian's don't have the initiative to access Western educational materials, the internet or metals technology!
I don't think the particular hurdle to production is the raw materials for setting up a centrifuge plant, (they do have U orebodies) and the actual "doing it" without being spotted from space!
I think we give ourselves too much kudos to regulate them and credit them with too little ability/resources.
If they could do it and power it without getting spotted from space, I'd be very interested. Any underground facility would create huge spoil heaps and then there is the question of how you power it.....
We shall see eh?
It works, I saw it on the TV...
Fittster said:
Just why is it taking Iran so long to construct a nuclear bomb?
Because they baked a battenberg instead of yellow cake?Perhaps they are not really that fussed to actually get the bomb. The slow ponderous act to get it is a useful international tool...but once you actually have it...what then? It's useless for practical purposes and you can't go a step back and get rid of it. Plus you would have the neighbouring superpowers really scutinisng at you, like pakistan, Russia, India, China etc. It doesn't seem to have done much for NK on the face of it.
Going a bit bonkers and unrealistic for a moment. There are considerable mining operations in Iran (inc coal).....they leave some big holes behind.
I also thought it was possible to rig up individual centrifuges via pipes, rather than having a stacking system. It could make powering them a tad more difficult, but it would be doable in a flat open space.
I also thought it was possible to rig up individual centrifuges via pipes, rather than having a stacking system. It could make powering them a tad more difficult, but it would be doable in a flat open space.
Maybe they are going to let it off on Thursday 
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Lost soul said:
Maybe they are going to let it off on Thursday
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Bomb testhttp://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
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