Are pressure transducers "nuke technology"?

Is this story credible or just government paranoia?

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T.O. man accused of trying to export nuke technology Updated Fri. Apr. 17 2009 10:20 AM ET The Canadian Press

TORONTO -- Police say a Toronto man is facing charges of illegally trying to export nuclear technology following a joint Canada-U.S. investigation.

In a release, the RCMP allege the man tried to procure and export pressure transducers, which are used in the production of enriched uranium.

The transducers have a legitimate commercial use, say the RCMP, but can also be used for military purposes.

Police allege the man took steps to conceal the identification of the transducers so he could export them without export permits.

Mahmoud Yadegari is in custody awaiting a bail hearing on charges under the Customs Act and Export Import Permits Act, and police say further charges may follow.

The charges follow an investigation by the RCMP, customs agents, The Dept. of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.

Reply to
Eric Gisin
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I know how to create a pressure transducers.

A knife can be used to cut fruits and vegetables. Same knife can be used to kill people. So its difficult to say what thing can be used for what?

Planes are used for transportation but in 9/11 attack on US, Planes were used to destroy the towers.

Bye Sanny

Enjoy & Chat:

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Reply to
Sanny

Updated:

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Sgt. Marc Laporte told CTV.ca that Yadegari is accused of importing the items from the United States to Canada, so that he could send them to a destination in Dubai.

Pressure transducers are a controlled item in the United States and there are strict rules if they are going to be exported, Laporte said in a phone interview late Friday morning.

Reply to
Eric Gisin

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RCMP Sgt. Marc Laporte told CTV.ca that Yadegari is accused of importing the items from the United

strict rules if they

As usual the media is clueless.

Pressure transducers in general aren't a controlled item, but some particular, specialized transducers are.

Reply to
jimp

to export nuclear

e transducers, which are

lso be used for military

nsducers so he could

he Customs Act and Export

. of Foreign Affairs and

It seems that pressure transducers are necessary for uranium hexafluoride enrichment, and therefore are controlled devices. "Pressure transducers (ECCNs: 4592, 1B51, 2B230) Pressure transducers are used to measure the pressure of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas in facilities that separate uranium isotopes by the gas centrifuge process. Pressure measuring devices that are compatible with UF6 are also used in UF6 production plants and nuclear fuel fabrication plants" So it's not paranoia after all.

Reply to
vwauto

It seems that pressure transducers are necessary for uranium hexafluoride enrichment, and therefore are controlled devices. "Pressure transducers (ECCNs: 4592, 1B51, 2B230) Pressure transducers are used to measure the pressure of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas in facilities that separate uranium isotopes by the gas centrifuge process. Pressure measuring devices that are compatible with UF6 are also used in UF6 production plants and nuclear fuel fabrication plants" So it's not paranoia after all.

*****

So they measure gas pressure, which is done in most chemical and energy plants. Doesn't sound there is any reason to restrict general use technology.

You could ban almost anything because it *could* be used to produce nukes.

Reply to
Eric Gisin

This sounds disingenuous. If a person is exporting a gadget that is designed for use in a sensitive process - then though it is in the same general class as gadgets used for innocent purposes, this one probably isn't - specially if he is taking pains to hide the details of its design.

Brian W

Reply to
Brian Whatcott

Fertilizer grows fruit or blows up federal buildings.

Reply to
Poetic Justice

Fertilizer grows fruit or blows up federal buildings.

Wait till they start using ink as a nerve agent.... you'll have to be government certified to enjoy the freedom of the press.

Reply to
Poetic Justice

Well, since Washington is hell-bent on running the entire world with ex-convicts, drunks, cocain dealers by teleprompter, and the uneducable in the idiot US, just go along for the ride, like the idiots they are, that's the reason people with brains work on drones and on-line publishing, rather than relative anything.

Reply to
zzbunker

No, you don't get it - not yet. Try buying ammo-nitrate and fuel oil mix at the feed store and see what happens. Hell - try buying straight ammo-nitrate - it cannot be bought retail locally any more....

Brian W

Reply to
Brian Whatcott
[snip]

[snip]

According to the index of the Commerce Control List, available here:

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entry for ECCN 2B230 reads:

" 2B230 ?Pressure transducers? capable of measuring absolute pressure at any point in the range 0 to 13 kPa, with pressure sensing elements made of or protected by nickel, nickel alloy with more than 60% nickel by weight, aluminum or aluminum alloy . . . . . . . . . . . . Cat 2-31 "

And from the Federal Register, Vol. 61, No. 58, Monday, March 25, 1996, available here:

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find the same description given above, plus the following accuracy specifications:

" a. Transducers with a full scale of less than 13 kPa and an accuracy of better than ± 1% of full scale; b. Transducers with a full scale of 13 kPa or greater and an accuracy of better than ±130 Pa. "

So, the restriction seems to apply not to ALL pressure transducers, but only to ABSOLUTE pressure transducers that can accurately measure low pressures (one atmosphere is ~101 kPa) and the sensing element is made of or protected by certain materials (presumably for chemical compatibility with certain gases.)

Olin Perry Norton

Reply to
Olin Perry Norton

Interesting. So, anyone who is really intent on getting around this stupid law can simply get a relative pressure transducer, and hook it up to a calibrated source.

Kind reminds me of my home town, which outlawed spoons.

Reply to
Marvin the Martian

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