Encit 2012

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Brazil in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Samuel Fayad Filho
INB

Uranium is used as raw material for generating 16% of all electric energy produced in the world. In order to generate energy from uranium ore, it must be subjected to a series of industrial processes; and this set of steps – ranging from mining up to power generation in power plants – is denoted as "nuclear fuel cycle". Brazil dominates the required technology in all stages of this cycle, among which uranium enrichment and fuel element production stand out for their complexity.

Keywords: nuclear fuel cycle, uranium enrichment, production of fuel element.