As stated on the Uranium Enrichment page, I wanted to illustrate the entire cycle from Uranium Ore to Uranium Enrichment, and my research paid off in a big way when I came across Cameco — a company with operations that extend from mining and milling to conversion. As illustrated in the animation that opens Act I, Cameco ships their UF6 cylinders to URENCO where the enrichment process begins.

Note: As you can see below, the total of the 2 videos runs 7:32 — so I merged the two and increased the speed by 700% so the composite could be integrated into the URENCO animation (and properly timed to flow with the UF6 cylinder). Needless to say, the whole point was to show the scale, scope, and complexity involved in producing the product inside the cylinder — without getting bogged down in complicated chemicals (which is above my head, I must admit). Nevertheless, they are interesting animations to watch, so I wanted to make them available in real-time.

The milling of the uranium ore is just represented by a graphic in the Act I animation, but please visit my mining and milling page for videos on that part of the process.

Opening image to the embedded video in Act I (Uranium Milling to Yellowcake to UF6 Conversion):

 

Cameco’s Uranium Refinery at Blind River

 

Cameco’s UF6 Conversion at Port Hope

 

URENCO Nederland: The site you see at the end of the embedded video (where the truck is delivering the UF6 Cylinder):