4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 1 of 14 Session I.4.9a Part I Review of Fundamentals Module 4Sources of Radiation Session 9aFuel Cycle - Overview IAEA Post Graduate Educational Course Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 2 of 14 Overview  In this session we will discuss the Nuclear Fuel Cycle including:  Mining  Milling  Conversion  Enrichment  Fuel Fabrication  Power Generation  Spent Fuel  Reprocessing  Waste Disposal

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 3 of 14 Energy Resources

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 4 of 14 Energy Resources

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 5 of 14 ppm Source (part per million) High ‑ grade ore (2% U)20,000 Low ‑ grade ore (0.1% U)1,000 Fertiliser400 Coal deposits100 Granite (60% of earths crust)4 Sedimentary rock2 Seawater0.003 Typical Uranium Concentrations

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 6 of 14 Countrytonnes percentage of world Australia863,00028% Kazakhstan472,00015% Canada437,00014% South Africa298,00010% Namibia235,0008% Brazil 197,0006% Russian Fed. 131,0004% USA 104,0003% Uzbekistan103,0003% World Total 3,107,000 Known Recoverable Uranium Resources

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 7 of 14 Uranium Decay Chain  Primary Isotopes  238 U - alpha emitter alpha emitter  235 U and 234 U – alpha/gamma emitters  Decay Products  231 Th and 234 Th - beta/gamma emitters  234m Pa - beta/gamma emitter

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 8 of 14  Decommissioned Nuclear Weapons  over 90% 235 U (must be downblended for commercial fuel)  Thorium  coverts to 233 U after neutron capture  3 times more abundant than uranium Other Sources of Fuel

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 9 of 14 Natural uranium consists of three isotopes: Isotope % AbundanceHalf Life (10 6 years) 238 U , U U Properties of Natural Uranium

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 10 of 14 Uranium Properties 238 U is most abundant 234 U increases with enrichment Note activity ratios Natural Uranium Isotope Percent U-238 U-235 U-234 LEU Depleted

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 11 of 14 Uranium Specific Activity Type (enrichment) Specific Activity (Bq/gram) Depleted (0.2%) 1.5 x 10 4 Natural (0.71%) 2.6 x 10 4 Enriched (4%) 8.9 x 10 4 Enriched (93%) 4.1 x 10 6

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 12 of 14 Uranium Compounds  UF 6 produced at conversion plants  U 3 O 8 is yellowcake from milling  UO 2 is dominant fuel type (ceramic) used to produce pellets  UF 4 is intermediate form in conversion  Uranyl nitrate is important in recovery

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 13 of 14 Fuel Cycle

4/2003 Rev 2 I.4.9a – slide 14 of 14 Fuel Cycle Around the World