Re: DU talk

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 11/25/02 7:06:13 PM Mountain Standard Time, jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET writes:


> What is misleading about calling material with a U-238/U-235 ratio <that of
>
> natural uranium "depleted" Is it misleading to call that with a ratio
>
> >natural uranium "enriched"?



Exactly!  "Depleted" uranium is, as has been pointed out, the "tailings" from the uranium enrichment process, in which the U-235 component is increased form 0.7% of the uranium to between 3% and 5%, for commercial nuclear fuel.  This enrichment process results in two streams:  an "enriched" ( >0.7% U-235) stream and a "depleted" (<0.7% U-235) stream.  Why should we have to turn ourselves verbally inside out to coin a politically correct term that can't be so readily and deliberately misinterpreted?


Ruth  

Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com