CONCENTRATED NITRIC AND DILUTE HYDRO-FLUORIC ACID MIXTURES IN DISSOLUTION OF ZIRCONIUM METAL

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1959 · Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (U.S.) Formerly J. Ind. Eng. Chem. Superseded by Chem. Technol.

OSTI ID:4302165

Wall, E M.V.; Whitener, E N

In mixtures of nitric and hydrofluoric acids the rate of dissolution of zirconium metal is first-order with respect to the hydrofluoric acid. Varying the nitric acid concentration from 0 to 13M causes a small change in the initial rate of dissolution, which indicates that nitric acid is not necessary for dissolution. However, the presence of 13M nitric acid produces stable solutions which have a final total fluoride-zirconium molar ratio of 2. Rate constants are given fur the initial rate of dissolution of zircouium at 40, 50, 60, and 115 C, and fur the disappearance of hydrofluoric acid during dissolution at 40, 50, and 60 C in the region where the total fluoride-zirconium molar ratio is 6 or greater. Evidence confirms the necessity of the hydrofluoric acid species itself for dissolution, rather than the fluoride ion species. The activation energy for the dissolution of zirconium in the nitric-hydrofluoric acid system is 6.4 kcal per mole for the temperature range 40 to 115 C. (auth)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co., Idaho Falls, Idaho
• NSA Number: NSA-13-004492
• OSTI ID: 4302165
• Journal Information: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (U.S.) Formerly J. Ind. Eng. Chem. Superseded by Chem. Technol., Journal Name: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (U.S.) Formerly J. Ind. Eng. Chem. Superseded by Chem. Technol. Vol. Vol: 51; ISSN IECHA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CONCENTRATION
ENERGY
EXCITATION
FLUORIDES
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
IONS
LEACHING
MIXING
NITRIC ACID
QUANTITY RATIO
REACTION KINETICS
SOLUBILITY
SOLUTIONS
STABILITY
TEMPERATURE
VELOCITY
ZIRCONIUM
ZIRCONIUM FLUORIDES