Basic Studies of the Separation of Uranium Hexafluoride from Mixtures Containing Chlorine Trifluoride and Hydrogen Fluoride
- Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Processes for the conversion of uranium compounds or uranium metal to uranium hexafluoride ordinarily involve the use of a powerful fluorinating agent. Elemental fluorine is used when the scale of operations justifies the construction of a fluorine generating plant, but for smaller operation the use of the interhalogens of fluorine has definite advantages. These compounds provide a high concentration of fluorinating power at moderate temperatures and pressures and are more easily stored and transported than fluorine. In addition, fluorinations in the liquid phase often proceed more smoothly than those with gaseous fluorine. However, the use of the interhalogens introduces the problem of separating the uranium hexafluoride from the unreacted reagent and from any by-products which may have been formed. The present work is concerned with the determination of the phase equilibria among the materials uranium hexafluoride, chlorine trifluoride, and hydrogen fluoride. This mixture occurs as a result of fluorinating uranium metal with chlorine trifluoride-hydrogen fluoride solutions or as a result of treating many uranium compounds and ores with chlorine trifluoride. These phase equilibria define the physical conditions necessary for separating the components by the processes of crystallization or distillation and have made possible the successful operation of a pilot plant for the direct recovery of uranium hexafluoride from spent metallic uranium fuel elements.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
- NSA Number:
- NSA-12-014701
- OSTI ID:
- 4328256
- Report Number(s):
- A/CONF.15/P/932
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Phase equilibria of the ternary system: uranium hexafluoride-chlorine trifluoride-hydrogen fluoride. Part V. Liquid-vapor equilibria of the binary system: chlorine trifluoride-hydrogen fluoride
THE FLUORIDES OF URANIUM. I. LIQUID-VAPOUR EQUILIBRIA IN THE SYSTEMS URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE-CHLORINE TRIFLUORIDE AND URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE-BROMINE PENTAFLUORIDE
Related Subjects
BURNUP
Binary system
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINE FLUORIDES
CRYSTALLIZATION
DISTILLATION
FABRICATION
FLUORINATION
FLUORINE
FUEL ELEMENTS
GASES
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
LIQUIDS
Liquid-vapor
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OPERATION
PILOT PLANT
PRESSURE
RECOVERY
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
STABILITY
STORAGE
TEMPERATURE
TESTING
TRANSPORT
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
URANIUM ORES
Uranium hexafluoride
WASTE PROCESSING