How does a gas centrifuge separate uranium isotopes?

Gas centrifugation is a method used to enrich uranium by separating the lighter isotope, ${}^{235}{\text{UF}}_6$, from the heavier isotope, ${}^{238}{\text{UF}}_6$.12

The process involves the following steps:

• Preparation: Natural uranium is converted into uranium hexafluoride (${\text{UF}}_6$) gas.2
• Centrifugation: This gas is fed into a high-speed, well-balanced centrifuge. As the rotor spins at an extremely high rate, the gas is subjected to a strong centrifugal field.23
• Separation: Due to the difference in mass, the heavier ${}^{238}{\text{UF}}_6$ molecules are pushed toward the outer walls of the centrifuge, while the lighter ${}^{235}{\text{UF}}_6$ molecules tend to concentrate near the center (axis) of the spinning rotor.123
• Collection: The separated mixtures are then siphoned off for further processing.2

This method is more energy-efficient than gaseous diffusion and has become a primary technique for producing reactor-grade uranium.123