Kovarex enrichment process

2022-05-30T16:33:18Z

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{{:Infobox:Kovarex enrichment process}}

The '''Kovarex enrichment process''' is a method for reprocessing uranium in a [[centrifuge]]. Although the process requires a large amount of the much rarer [[uranium-235]] to start, it can be a good way to get more use out of the available [[uranium ore]].

== Purpose ==
[[Uranium processing]] takes 10 uranium ore and returns 1 uranium-235 with 0.007 (0.7%) probability, or 1 [[uranium-238]] with 0.993 (99.3%) probability, leading to an [[:Wikipedia:Binomial_distribution|expected]] (though not guaranteed) 1 unit of uranium-235 per approximately 143 processing cycles (or about a 1:142 ratio of U-235 to U-238). This is currently the only probability-based crafting recipe in the game.

Uranium-235 is necessary to create [[uranium fuel cell]]s and [[atomic bomb]]s, in considerable quantities for the latter, but the probability distribution of uranium processing leads to it being produced slowly and creating large stockpiles of U-238 as a byproduct. The Kovarex process thus provides the player with a considerably faster (and deterministic) method of producing U-235, as well as a use for the surplus U-238.

It should be noted that U-238 is not useless; it is necessary (and sufficient) to manufacture [[uranium rounds magazine]]s, [[uranium cannon shell]]s, and [[explosive uranium cannon shell]]s, and is required as a secondary ingredient in uranium fuel cells. Therefore, it is not advisable to use the Kovarex process to convert ''all'' stockpiled U-238 into U-235. (Although, in case of shortage, [[Used up uranium fuel cell]]s can be [[Nuclear fuel reprocessing|reprocessed]] into a modest amount of U-238.)

== Trivia ==
* The Kovarex enrichment process is named after [https://www.factorio.com/game/about Michal Kovařík], lead designer of Factorio and co-owner of Wube, whose online nick is ''kovarex'' (which he usually spells lowercase). [https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/67bj3p/015_kovarex_uranium_enrichment_is_too_good_with/dgq2ij3/?context=1]

* In the real world, mined uranium comes out as a mix of approximately 99.28% [[:Wikipedia:Uranium-238|uranium-238]] and 0.72% [[:Wikipedia:Uranium-235|uranium-235]]. Most nuclear power plants need a higher content of uranium-235 than that, so it gets increased to 3-5% through [[:Wikipedia:Enriched_uranium|enrichment]]. This is done by separating and removing some uranium-238 from the mix. This differs a bit from the in-game representation where the mined uranium output comes pre-split between uraniun-235 and uranium-238 from the miner, and uranium-235 is created in a centrifuge by consuming uranium-238.
* Uranium munitions are made from [[:Wikipedia:depleted uranium|depleted uranium]], a byproduct of uranium enrichment, which is mostly <sup>238</sup>U whose natural admixture of the <sup>235</sup>U isotope has been lowered even further through the enrichment process. Depleted uranium is minimally radioactive and the reason for its use in munitions is its very high density and other mechanical properties, not radioactivity/toxicity.

== History ==
{{History|0.17.0|
* Can be used with productivity modules once again.
* Use with productivity modules now gives correct amount of bonus items.}}

{{History|0.15.2|
* No longer usable with productivity modules.}}

{{History|0.15.0|
* Introduced}}

== See also ==
* [[Uranium-235]]
* [[Uranium processing]]

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Official Factorio Wiki - User contributions [en]

Kovarex enrichment process