Isotope separation in a "seeded beam%".

A new method of separating isotopes in a gaseous mixture is described. The method takes advantage of the differences in velocities of isotopic species in a molecular beam formed by expansion of the mixture with a light gas from a nozzle source. For the separation of the hexafluorides of uranium-235 and uranium-238 the technique has an estimated separative work factor about 500 times higher than the gaseous diffusion process and 100 times higher than the curved-jet method.