PRIVATE INDUSTRY SHOWS HOW TO SIMPLIFY UF$sub 6$ OUTPUT

Journal Article · Mon Jul 11 04:00:00 EDT 1960 · Chem. Eng.

OSTI ID:4178032

Cronan, C.S. ed.

Crude U ore concentrates were successfully converted to pure UF/sub 6/ on a plant scale (5,000 tons/yr), using new fluid-bed and distilling techniques. The plant operation process is: (1) direct fluid-bed reduction of U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ to UO/sub 2/, (2) fluid-bed hydrofluorination of UO/sub 2/ to UF/sub 4/, (3) fluid-bed fluorination of UF/sub 4/ to UF/sub 6/, and (4) distillation of liquid UF/sub 6/ to pure UF/sub 6/ product. In (1), solvent extraction, previously a necessary step before reduction, is eliminated. For (2), two reactors in series are used to control temperatures, and the reversible reaction is driven more nearly to completion. For (3), two fluid-bed fluorinators in parallel are used. For (4), two distilling columns are used, one for removal of low-boiling impurities and the other for highboiling impurities. The feed ore concentrates are leached with acid instead of with sodium carbonate which plugs the bed in all steps, and they must not have too high an impurity concentration. (D.L.C.)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-14-017918
• OSTI ID: 4178032
• Journal Information: Chem. Eng., Journal Name: Chem. Eng. Vol. Vol: 67, No. 14
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACIDS
CHEMISTRY
CONVERSION
DISTILLATION
FLUIDIZATION
FLUORINATION
IMPURITIES
LEACHING
PRODUCTION
REDUCTION
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
U3O8
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
URANIUM ORES
URANIUM TETRAFLUORIDE