Our Technology
Nuclear energy, made at home
Strengthening US leadership through safe, affordable, scalable domestic enrichment.
Enrichment, made in America
Nuclear fuel production relies on five steps, taking uranium ore to finished fuel. American fuel production has a bottleneck in the middle step, enrichment.
We are addressing this bottleneck through a novel, scalable, cost-competitive technology. By reducing the cost of enrichment we will reduce the cost of nuclear energy.
1Mining & Milling
- Uranium ore is extracted through conventional mining and milling or through modern in-situ recovery (ISR). A uranium powder called yellowcake (U₃O₈) is produced.
2Conversion
- Yellowcake is converted from a solid powder into uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) gas through a chemical reaction. In gas form, different isotopes of uranium are more easily isolated.
3Enrichment
- Uranium hexafluoride molecules are separated based on isotope. This refining process is used to increase the concentration of U-235 from its natural state (0.711%) into fuel as LEU (3-5%) or HALEU (5-20%). General Matter performs this enrichment step.
4Deconversion
Uranium hexafluoride gas is converted back into a solid using a chemical reaction, preparing it to be formed into fuel pellets.
5Fabrication
Enriched uranium is formed into small, solid cylinders or pellets based on the reactor the fuel is being used in.
