Atomic vapor laser isotope separation AVLIS process

Atomic- Vapor Laser Isotope-Separation. Although the technology has been around since the 1970s, laser isotope separation has only recently matured to the point of industrialization. In particular, laser isotope separation for the production of fuel and moderators for nuclear power generation is on the threshold of pilot-plant demonstrations in several countries. In the atomic vapor laser isotope-separation (AVLIS) process, vibrationaHy cooled U metal atoms are selectively ionized by means of a high power (1—2 kW) tunable copper vapor or dye laser operated at high (kHz) repetition rates (51,59,60). 

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Uranium isotope enrichment by LIS has been exhaustively studied and the conceptual outlines of two separate programs have made their way into the open literature. These methods are multiphoton dissociation of UFe and LIS of monatomic uranium vapor (atomic vapor laser isotope separation, or AVLIS). AVLIS was selected by the United States DOE as the process to be used in its separation plants during the 1980s and 1990s, but, once again due to the present oversupply of separated uranium, the plant has recently been closed. 

The Energy Research and Development Agency (ERDA), the forerunner to the DOE, through the late 1970s to 1981 supported the study of three new experimental processes for uranium enrichment. Two were based upon laser separation, and one on plasma separation. Jersey Nuclear-Avco Isotopes Incorporated (subsidiary of Exxon) and the LLNL worked on atomic uranium vapor. LLNL referred to it as AVUS. The LANL and a group at Exxon Research Laboratories (not connected with Jersey-Avco) worked on molecular UFg. TRW Incorporated pursued research work on a plasma separation process. Union Carbide Nuclear Division (UCC-ND) supported each in their efforts. In 1981, the AVLIS process at LLNL was selected as the process to be developed further and the other processes were subsequently phased out. 

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