Xenon, what you need to know
What is xenon?
Xenon is a so-called noble gas with the symbol Xe and atomic number 54. It is a naturally occurring, colorless, and odorless gas found in very low concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere. Known for its use in lamps and lasers, it also has unique properties that make it indispensable in many scientific and industrial fields.
Where does it come from?
Xenon is mainly extracted from air by fractional distillation, a process used to produce oxygen and nitrogen industrially. As it accounts for only 0.000009% of the air, large quantities of air must be processed to isolate small usable amounts.
What is it used for?
Xenon has a wide variety of applications. In the field of lighting, it is used in the manufacture of flash lamps and high-intensity headlights. Xenon is also a gas of choice in aerospace, used as fuel for ion engines acting as thrusters on satellites.
In medicine, some of its isotopes, such as xenon 124 and xenon 129, are used as precursors for medical radioisotopes or as contrast agents for pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Finally, the detection of certain xenon isotopes in the atmosphere
is a sign of possible nuclear testing, thus contributing to international monitoring and prevention of such activities.
Xenon at Orano
At Orano, xenon is found both in the reprocessing of spent fuel and as a raw material in the Stable Isotopes Laboratory.
Orano separates each of the nine stable isotopes (124 to 136) of natural xenon using a latest-generation gas centrifugation process, and is capable of achieving an enrichment of over 95% in each of these isotopes. This high purity and reliability of supply
enable us to meet the needs of research, medicine, and industry.
In addition, during the reprocessing of irradiated fuel, the shearing operation that precedes dissolution releases gases contained in the fuel rods, these gases being produced
by the fission reaction in the reactor. Such gases are radioactive, and Orano ensures that their release is controlled in accordance with safety standards and environmental regulations.
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