Reaction of uranium oxides with chlorine and carbon or carbon monoxide to prepare uranium chlorides
The preferred preparation concept of uranium metal for feed to an AVLIS uranium enrichment process requires preparation of uranium tetrachloride (UCI{sub 4}) by reacting uranium oxides (UO{sub 2}/UO{sub 3}) and chlorine (Cl{sub 2}) in a molten chloride salt medium. UO{sub 2} is a very stable metal oxide; thus, the chemical conversion requires both a chlorinating agent and a reducing agent that gives an oxide product which is much more stable than the corresponding chloride. Experimental studies in a quartz reactor of 4-cm ID have demonstrated the practically of some chemical flow sheets. Experimentation has illustrated a sequence of results concerning the chemical flow sheets. Tests with a graphite block at 850{degrees}C demonstrated rapid reactions of Cl{sub 2} and evolution of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) as a product. Use of carbon monoxide (CO) as the reducing agent also gave rapid reactions of Cl{sub 2} and formation of CO{sub 2} at lower temperatures, but the reduction reactions were slower than the chlorinations. Carbon powder in the molten salt melt gave higher rates of reduction and better steady state utilization of Cl{sub 2}. Addition of UO{sub 2} feed while chlorination was in progress greatly improved the operation by avoiding the plugging effects from high UO{sub 2} concentrations and the poor Cl{sub 2} utilizations from low UO{sub 2} concentrations. An UO{sub 3} feed gave undesirable effects while a feed of UO{sub 2}-C spheres was excellent. The UO{sub 2}-C spheres also gave good rates of reaction as a fixed bed without any molten chloride salt. Results with a larger reactor and a bottom condenser for volatilized uranium show collection of condensed uranium chlorides as a loose powder and chlorine utilizations of 95--98% at high feed rates. 14 refs., 7 figs., 14 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 10155443
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-11792; ON: DE92004886
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Nov 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Literature information applicable to the reaction of uranium oxides with chlorine to prepare uranium tetrachloride
THE PREPARATION OF URANIUM DIOXIDE FROM A MOLTEN SALT SOLUTION OF URANYL CHLORIDE
Related Subjects
URANIUM
LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION
URANIUM CHLORIDES
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
URANIUM OXIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINE
CARBON
CARBON MONOXIDE
FLOWSHEETS
PACKED BEDS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMOCHEMICAL DIAGRAMS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
VAPOR CONDENSATION
FEED MATERIALS PLANTS
050400
050500
FEED PROCESSING
URANIUM ENRICHMENT