Yellowcake (Noun)
Meaning
An impure mixture of uranium oxides obtained during the processing of uranium ore.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The milling process typically yields a concentrated yellowcake product containing 70-90% uranium oxides.
- Uranium mines usually ship yellowcake to fuel fabricators for further refinement and use in reactors.
- In nuclear power production, the most common commercial sources of yellowcake are high-grade ore and the recovery of uranium from in situ leaching of ore deposits.
- Uranium from low-grade ores, especially the Colorado Plateau uranium district in the western United States, typically has lower production of yellowcake due to ore properties and waste concerns.
- Cyclones in milling operations at some yellowcake mines function inefficiently because ore that remains attached to them recirculates without enough access to proper mill size class distribution for conversion into finished uranium.