slightly enriched uranium

English

Noun

slightly enriched uranium (uncountable)

1. (nuclear physics) Enriched uranium with 0.9-2% uranium-235, requiring a special moderator with very low neutron absorption (such as heavy water or high-purity graphite) in order to sustain a nuclear fission chain reaction; used to increase power output and efficiency in a few types of nuclear reactors capable of running on natural uranium and for downblending of highly-enriched uranium from decommissioned nuclear weapons into low-enriched uranium suitable for use in commercial power reactors.

   Alternative forms: SEU (initialism), slightly-enriched uranium

   Hypernyms: enriched uranium < U, uranium

   Coordinate terms: LEU, low-enriched uranium, HALEU, high-assay low-enriched uranium, HEU, highly enriched uranium; NU, natural uranium; DU, depleted uranium