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To: pgerassi who wrote (21722)	12/6/2000 4:23:41 PM
From: EricRR	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 275872

The cheapest way to make something isotopically pure ... ...I thought was selective laser ionization. (you can tune advanced lasers to diff the spectral splitting of the isotopes)

To: pgerassi who wrote (21722)	12/6/2000 5:13:03 PM
From: Bill Jackson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 275872

Pete, Yes the centrifuges work as do the laser excitation methods. There needs to be a gaseuous halide of course for the centrifugal approach, SiF4...is that a gas? However there is quite a cost to these. Gas centrifuges are by no means cheap. Si28 is plentiful, and far easier to extract from it's other isotopes than is U235 as the % differential is greater. SiF4? versus UF6? and the Si28 is more than 6% versus the fractional % of U235 in U238 I am not sure of the bulk economics of the assorted processes however I am sure that if this works there will be a lineup of people entering production. All these people need to funnel their stuff through Isonics as they are the licence holder of the basic patent. At the end of the day it is the cost of electricity that will determine the costs as this is all routine science. I wonder if there is any naturally occuring selection process that can be used....such as a devonian diatom that used it in their shells and were able to selectively extract it from seawater and there are 2000 foot thick beds of them somewhere? Is the advantage due to Si28 only, or is there an advantage to Si29 and to Si30? IE is it the fact of the single isotopic purity or something that happens with Si28 alone due to the e fine structure or some such? Bill