The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #112615 Message #2384985
Posted By: beardedbruce
09-Jul-08 - 03:20 PM
Thread Name: BS: No uranium in Iraq?
Subject: RE: BS: No uranium in Iraq?
"And that payload requires a concentration of U235 of >20%, or 10 kilograms HEU for weapons use. Yes?"
No, that figure was for 85% U235
Now, low grade eneriched (SEU) has a concentration of 1-2% of U-235.
Actually, yellowcake is less than 1%, I believe.
To make up 10 Kg U-235 would seem, then, to require 1000 kg of yellow cake. One tonne.
ignoring all the other elements in yellowcake, that would be
.72% (0.0072) x 1000kg = 7.2 KG per 1 metric ton, or 3960 KG total for 550 metric tons. With NO loss in processing, and assuming 100% uranium ( a false assumption), that would be less than 80 bombs.
More likely ( given assumptions ) enough for 30-40 85% HE U235 bombs, and fewer at lower concentrations.
Hell he had hundreds of chemical weapon artillary shells and that was not considered to be a danger, according to you. Why worry over 30-40 Hiroshimas?