General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Uranium U-238 to Japan in U-235
Posted by:
Martin Page
()
Date: January 05, 2016 10:56AM
Availability of Uranium, Japan 1940-1945.
The following is a translation from the Japanese of the Tonizo report, possibly written by Takeo Yasuda.
On Uranium Tonizo ( Tokyo No.2 Arsenal ) Laboratory April 1943
Extent of deposits in Japan.
Fukushima-ken Date-gun Iizaka mura. Salmatos Stone ( UO2 about 20% )
Gifu-ken Ena-gun Naeki area. Felgson stone ( UO3 1~2% )
Ena stone ( UO2 11% )
Korea………………….. Felgson Stone UO2 8.4
* Manchuria…………… Yuukusen stone UO2 3.8%
* is a promising source.
At present there is no resources found within the East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere.
___________________
Pre 1940
East of Shinakawa and Sukagawa, Ishikawaite ( Yuji Shibata & Kenjiro Kimura 1922 )
North of Nakatsugawa, Uranuthorite UO3 9.05% , discovered by H. Awazu 1913.
Post 1945
Japan, Ningyo-toge mine 1957-1987 U3O8, 86 ton Uranium/ 86,000 tons ore ie approx. 1%. Would yield about 550 kg U235.
South Korea, Gwesan, Minwon, Daejon mines.
North Korea, Cholsen mine etc.
Manchuria, Lingtou mine etc, Lingtou Provence, Dongbey Region.
The supply of uranium ore does not appear to have been a limiting factor in Japan’s atomic bomb project. The consignment of 560 Kg said to be on board the German U234 submarine would only have yielded 2.6 Kg of U 235.
Nishina estimated the critical mass of U 235 as 10 Kg with a reflector but adds “this will not make a bomb, there needs to be extra, another 10 Kg”. Given that 20 Kg of U 235 is needed and the availability of uranium deposits within Japan’s sphere of control , the 2.6 Kg carried in U 234 would have been insignificant.
The real limiting factor is the scale of the project. In November 1943 Nishina reports that the thermal diffusion tower has yielded an enrichment of 10 % and that a further diffusion tower is in the middle of being built. While theoretically that would have produced bomb grade material, the quantity would have been miniscule.
The following is a translation from the Japanese of the Tonizo report, possibly written by Takeo Yasuda.
On Uranium Tonizo ( Tokyo No.2 Arsenal ) Laboratory April 1943
Extent of deposits in Japan.
Fukushima-ken Date-gun Iizaka mura. Salmatos Stone ( UO2 about 20% )
Gifu-ken Ena-gun Naeki area. Felgson stone ( UO3 1~2% )
Ena stone ( UO2 11% )
Korea………………….. Felgson Stone UO2 8.4
* Manchuria…………… Yuukusen stone UO2 3.8%
* is a promising source.
At present there is no resources found within the East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere.
___________________
Pre 1940
East of Shinakawa and Sukagawa, Ishikawaite ( Yuji Shibata & Kenjiro Kimura 1922 )
North of Nakatsugawa, Uranuthorite UO3 9.05% , discovered by H. Awazu 1913.
Post 1945
Japan, Ningyo-toge mine 1957-1987 U3O8, 86 ton Uranium/ 86,000 tons ore ie approx. 1%. Would yield about 550 kg U235.
South Korea, Gwesan, Minwon, Daejon mines.
North Korea, Cholsen mine etc.
Manchuria, Lingtou mine etc, Lingtou Provence, Dongbey Region.
The supply of uranium ore does not appear to have been a limiting factor in Japan’s atomic bomb project. The consignment of 560 Kg said to be on board the German U234 submarine would only have yielded 2.6 Kg of U 235.
Nishina estimated the critical mass of U 235 as 10 Kg with a reflector but adds “this will not make a bomb, there needs to be extra, another 10 Kg”. Given that 20 Kg of U 235 is needed and the availability of uranium deposits within Japan’s sphere of control , the 2.6 Kg carried in U 234 would have been insignificant.
The real limiting factor is the scale of the project. In November 1943 Nishina reports that the thermal diffusion tower has yielded an enrichment of 10 % and that a further diffusion tower is in the middle of being built. While theoretically that would have produced bomb grade material, the quantity would have been miniscule.
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Uranium U-238 to Japan in U-235
|
drt3035 | 06/10/2011 02:51AM |
|
Re: Uranium U-238 to Japan in U-235
|
BHenderson | 06/10/2011 12:39PM |
|
Re: Uranium U-238 to Japan in U-235
|
Martin Page | 01/05/2016 10:56AM |