As you know, the " heart" of a nuclear device consists of highly enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium. This material is classified as fissile weapons-grade if the isotopic compositions over a certain threshold (93% U-235 for the highly enriched uranium and 93% of Pu-239 for plutonium). To construct a pure-fission bomb also rudimentary, it is not necessary to use only materials of the type weapon-grade. The plutonium with a higher percentage of Pu-240 or uranium with a lower percentage of U-235 can be used in the preparation a bomb.
The International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna (IAEA) defines significant amount in terms of the possible illegal manufacture of nuclear weapons, 8 kg of plutonium and 25 kg. U-235 contained in HEU (enriched with more than 20% U-235).
In reality according to an estimate of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Washington DC, to build a crude fission bomb can do 1 to 6 kg of plutonium and from 3 to 16 kg of U-235 contained in HEU, depending technical capacity of the explosive power of the bomb builders and product. If the amount of fissile material needed to build a fission bomb are small, the quantities of Pu and HEU produced by countries with nuclear weapons are very large. A report by the U.S. Department of Energy states that the DOE has acquired, from 1944 to 1994, 111.4 tonnes of plutonium for military purposes for which 99.5 tons still in inventory. An estimate of AS Diakov down in about 126 tonnes the quantity of plutonium produced by the USSR / Russia until 1995.
Regarding Uranium enriched the U.S. DOE stated that it had produced a total of 994 tonnes of HEU in the amount intended for nuclear weapons has been estimated at 730 tonnes while the corresponding quantities for the Soviet Union / Russia are higher 15-30% those of the USA.
addition to fissile material related to military activities, There are large quantities of plutonium in the fuel and waste of nuclear reactors, in fact this is the highest part of the existing plutonium. There is also the origin of civil plutonium have already undergone the process of separation. An estimate of the National Academy of Science of the U.S. in 1994 provides 1100 tons the total amount of plutonium that exists in the world in 1992 and provides that the amount will rise to 1600-1700 tonnes in 2000.
The International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna (IAEA) defines significant amount in terms of the possible illegal manufacture of nuclear weapons, 8 kg of plutonium and 25 kg. U-235 contained in HEU (enriched with more than 20% U-235).
In reality according to an estimate of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Washington DC, to build a crude fission bomb can do 1 to 6 kg of plutonium and from 3 to 16 kg of U-235 contained in HEU, depending technical capacity of the explosive power of the bomb builders and product. If the amount of fissile material needed to build a fission bomb are small, the quantities of Pu and HEU produced by countries with nuclear weapons are very large. A report by the U.S. Department of Energy states that the DOE has acquired, from 1944 to 1994, 111.4 tonnes of plutonium for military purposes for which 99.5 tons still in inventory. An estimate of AS Diakov down in about 126 tonnes the quantity of plutonium produced by the USSR / Russia until 1995.
Regarding Uranium enriched the U.S. DOE stated that it had produced a total of 994 tonnes of HEU in the amount intended for nuclear weapons has been estimated at 730 tonnes while the corresponding quantities for the Soviet Union / Russia are higher 15-30% those of the USA.
addition to fissile material related to military activities, There are large quantities of plutonium in the fuel and waste of nuclear reactors, in fact this is the highest part of the existing plutonium. There is also the origin of civil plutonium have already undergone the process of separation. An estimate of the National Academy of Science of the U.S. in 1994 provides 1100 tons the total amount of plutonium that exists in the world in 1992 and provides that the amount will rise to 1600-1700 tonnes in 2000.
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