Enriched Uranium - Peaceful Power or Powerful Weapon?

Enriched uranium is uranium that has a higher concentration of uranium-235 than is found naturally, having been increased through isotope separation. Natural uranium is 99.3% uranium-238, with uranium-235 accounting for only about 0.7% of its weight. Uranium-235 is the only nuclide existing in nature that is capable of sustaining a chain reaction of nuclear fission. Enriched uranium is a critical component for both nuclear power generation and military nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) attempts to ensure nuclear power generation safety and control nuclear weapons proliferation by monitoring enriched uranium supplies and generation.

Enriched uranium is created as two main types, low and highly enriched.
Low-enriched uranium (LEU) has less than 20% uranium-235. It is used in light water reactors (LWR), the most prevalent power reactors in the world. Uranium is most commonly enriched to 3 to 5% uranium-235 for use in these reactors.
Highly enriched uranium (HEU) has greater than 20% uranium-235. At this concentration, HEU is called weapons-usable although this would be a less than sufficient weapon. When used in nuclear weapons HEU usually contains 85% or more uranium-235. This grade of enriched uranium is known as weapons-grade. There is a process called downblending that turns highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium into low enriched, reactor-grade uranium. It is a major feature of the Megatons to Megawatts Program, converting uranium-235 to peaceful uses. It is estimated that there currently is approximately 2000 tons of enriched uranium (both reactor and weapons grade) in existence around the world.

Currently there are two main methods utilized for enrichment: gaseous diffusion and gas centrifuge. The gas centrifuge method consumes only 6% of the energy required for gaseous diffusion. Other methods are being developed but none have been scaled up to production levels. Gaseous diffusion works by forcing natural uranium through another substance, causing the uranium-235 to be separated out. Gaseous diffusion accounts for approximately 1/3 of all uranium enriched today. Most enriched uranium is currently produced by the gas centrifuge. The centrifuge spins gaseous uranium around rapidly, using centrifugal force to separate the heavier isotopes from the lighter ones.

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Iran is suspected of being only "months" away from building a nuclear bomb

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Iran has been in the news lately due to its development of enriched uranium and the building of numerous nuclear facilities. In June, Iran installed a new generation of centrifuges in its uranium enrichment sites and tripled its 20-percent enriched uranium output. Last August, Iran started transferring the nuclear enrichment centrifuges from its Natanz nuclear facility to their Fordo atomic site.

The Western world suspects that Iran's uranium enrichment program may be meant to produce nuclear weapons. Iran is now under sanction by the United Nations Security Council and the United States, the European Union and other western countries over its controversial nuclear program. Just this week the IAEA reported that Iran is building "hi-tech precision detonators which would be essential for a nuclear device, and developing a uranium core for a nuclear warhead." Iran is also suspected of testing weapons capable of carrying a nuclear payload and is only "months" away from building a nuclear bomb. Iran has denied all this, stating its nuclear program is for peaceful power generation purposes only.

Only time will tell if Iran truly has only peaceful intentions in mind.

2 Peter 3:10 - "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (NKJV)"