Conversion of uranium hexafluoride to uranium dioxide

Patent · Tue May 16 00:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5837144

Urza, I J

This patent describes a process for the preparation of uranium dioxide, comprising: reacting, in the vapor phase, uranium hexafluoride with steam to produce submicron uranyl fluoride powder; simultaneously fluidizing a bed of a uranium oxide material having a uranium to oxygen ratio of from about 1:2.0 to about 1:2.67 with a mixture of steam, hydrogen and an inert gas at temperatures in the range of about 580/sup 0/C to about 700/sup 0/C; introducing the submicron uranyl fluoride powder produced from the reaction of uranium hexafluoride and steam at the top of the fluidized bed of uranium oxide material; whereby the submicron uranyl fluoride powder is agglomerated, densified, fluidized, defluorinated and reduced to a fluoride-containing uranium oxide material having a uranium-to-oxygen ratio of from about 1:2.0 to about 1:2.67 and containing minor amounts of fluoride; removing the fluoride-containing material from the fluidized bed at a rate sufficient to maintain the level of the fluidized bed substantially constant; and contacting the removed material with hydrogen and steam at temperatures in the range of about 600/sup 0/C, whereby uranium dioxide essentially free of fluoride is obtained.

• Assignee: Advanced Nuclear Fuels Corp., Richmond, WA
• Patent Number(s): US 4830841
• OSTI ID: 5837144
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
EVAPORATION
FLUIDIZATION
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
REDUCTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STEAM GENERATION
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
URANYL COMPOUNDS
URANYL FLUORIDES