Uranium isotope fractionation resulting from UF/sub 6/ vapor distillation from containers

Technical Report · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5502050

Hedge, W D; Turner, C M

This empirical study for possible isotopic fractionation due to UF/sub 6/ vapor distillation from valved containers was performed to determine the effects of repeated vapor sampling. Four different experiments were performed, each of which varied by the method of measuring the isotopic contents and/or by the difference in temperature gradients as follows: The ratio of the parent UF/sub 6/ to the desublimed UF/sub 6/ collected at liquid nitrogen temperature and homogenized was measured by sampling the containers. The ratio of the parent UF/sub 6/ to the desublimed UF/sub 6/ collected at liquid nitrogen temperature and homogenized was measured by direct comparison to each other without subsampling. The ratio of the parent UF/sub 6/ to the desublimed UF/sub 6/ collected at liquid nitrogen and ice-water temperatures and homogenized was measured by indirect comparison to a common UF/sub 6/ reference material without subsampling. The ratio of the parent UF/sub 6/ to the desublimed UF/sub 6/ collected at liquid nitrogen temperature without homogenizing was measured by indirect comparison to a common UF/sub 6/ reference. Gas-phase, relative mass spectrometry was used for all isotopic measurements. Results of the study indicate that fractionation does occur. The U-235 isotope becomes more enriched in the parent container as the UF/sub 6/ is vaporized from it and desublimed into the receiving cylinder; i.e., the vaporized fraction is enriched in the U-238 isotope. The degree of fractionation indicates that the separation is due to the U-238 isotope of UF/sub 6/ having a higher vapor pressure than the U-235 isotope of UF/sub 6/. 3 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OT21400
• OSTI ID: 5502050
• Report Number(s): K-2055; ON: DE85016924
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050500* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Uranium Enrichment
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DATA
DISTILLATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
FRACTIONATION
GASES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
URANIUM ISOTOPES
VAPORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES