DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR THE REDUCTION OF URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE WITH HYDROGEN-PROCESS DEVELOPMENT. HOT WALL REACTOR

Technical Report · Fri Jun 27 04:00:00 EDT 1958

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4189334· OSTI ID:4189334

Smiley, S H; Brater, D C

>A continuous process for the reduction of uranium hexafluoride to uranium tetrafluoride was developed and proved on a pilot-plant scale. Complete conversion to uranium tetrafluoride was realized by contacting gaseous uranium hexafluoride with hydrogen in a heated, vertical, open-tube reactor. The purity and density of the solid product met metal grade uranium tetrafluoride specifications. Some difficulty with the accumulation of fused uranium fluorides in the tower was encountered, however, and it was necessary to stop and desing the unit about every 8 to 24 hours. The reaction of uranium hexafluoride with gaseous trichloroethylene was stadied before the tests with hydrogen were made. Although the reduction to uranium tetrafluoride was complete, the solid product was highly contaminated with the organic by-products of the reaction and was quite low in density. Tests of this method were discontinued when promising results were obtained with hydrogen as the reductant. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Tenn.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-14-001573
• OSTI ID: 4189334
• Report Number(s): K-1379(Del.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CONTAMINATION
CONVERSION
DENSITY
ETHYLENE
GASES
HYDROGEN
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANNING
REDUCTION
SOLIDS
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
URANIUM TETRAFLUORIDE