Could a nuclear chain reaction (criticality) occur at Cameco Fuel Manufacturing?
It is extremely difficult to create the conditions required to cause a nuclear chain reaction (criticality). Cameco Fuel Manufacturing has been licensed for many years to handle sufficient amounts of enriched uranium to make a nuclear chain reaction theoretically possible. However, safe engineering and handling procedures ensure that such an event will not occur. Even though Cameco Fuel Manufacturing has received permission from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to work with larger quantities of slightly enriched uranium than it has in the past, the likelihood of an inadvertent criticality occurring remains negligible. It’s important to remember that even if what the company’s scientists call “the near miracle” of a criticality did happen, there would not be an explosion. An explosion is completely impossible with the enrichments and types of uranium materials used at the facility. When a criticality occurs, the materials heat up and expand, and the conditions allowing the critica
Related Questions
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