Uranium isotope separation by chemical exchange reactions between UF⁶ and derivatives of UF⁶-nitrogen oxide complexes

Technical Report · Thu Feb 03 23:00:00 EST 1972

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4590692· OSTI ID:4590692

Saraceno, A. J.; Trivisonno, C. F. ^[1]

---

1. comps. and eds.

Chemical exchange reactions for the separation of the principal uranium isotopes have been investigated for systems consisting of uranium hexafluoride and nitrogen oxide-derived complexes of uranium hexafluoride. The equation representing the chemical equilibrium is: ²³⁸UF⁶ + NO²⁸⁵UF⁶ ⇌ ²³⁵UF⁶ + NO²³⁸UF⁶ with the ²³⁵U enrichment occurring in the UF⁶ phase when UF⁶ gas was contacted with solid NOUF⁶. Single stage separation factors of 1.0016 at 25°C and 1.0011 at 70°C were observed. Similar results were obtained using NOUF₇ and NO₂UF₇ in place of NOUF⁶. These exchange reactions were found to be impractically slow, but when they were catalyzed by HF, equilibrium time was reduced from about 100 hours to less than 2 hours. This led to an approach based on contacting two-phase immiscible solvent systems. The most promising system consisted of NOUF⁶ dissolved in HF, a polar ionizing solvent that catalyzes the exchange, and UF⁶ dissolved in Freon-114 (C₂F₄CI₂). This system yielded a ₂₃₅U/₂₃₈U single stage separation factor of 1.0016 at 25°C after one hour of contact time. 235U enrichment was always observed in the heavier (Freon-114) UF⁶-containing phase. The system was investigated further in a column-type operation to determine how well it might operate in a large scale operation. This work was discontinued when difficulties were encountered in adapting the system to multi-stage operation or cascading. No efficient economic means could be found for interconverting NOUF⁶ and UF⁶ in their respective solvents and the work was discontinued. This report summarizes the progress reports of P. R. Ogle, who performed the work during the period of October 1961 to December 1964.

• Research Organization: Goodyear Atomic Corp., Piketon, OH (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: AT-(33-2)-1
• NSA Number: NSA-27-005043
• OSTI ID: 4590692
• Report Number(s): GAT--674
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ENRICHED URANIUM
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
N40230* --Chemistry--Inorganic
Organic
& Physical Chemistry--Isotope Exchange & Isotope Separation
N47120 -- Isotope & Radiation Source Technology--Isotope Separation (Industrial)--Uranium
NITROGEN OXIDES
URANIUM 235
URANIUM COMPLEXES
URANIUM FLUORIDES UF$sub 6$/uranium-235 concentration in
by chemical exchange with its nitrogen oxide complexes
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
URANIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES U-235/concentration in uranium hexafluoride by chemical exchange with its nitrogen oxide complexes
URANIUM ISOTOPES/separation by chemical exchange reactions between uranium hexafluoride and its nitrogen oxide complexes