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UF/sub 6/-recovery process utilizing desublimation

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5893704
; ; ;

The invention is a UF/sub 6/-recovery process of the kind in which a stream of substantially pure gaseous UF/sub 6/ is directed through an externally chilled desublimer to convert the UF/sub 6/ directly to an annular solid ring adhering to the interior wall of the desublimer. After accumulation of a desired amount of solid UF/sub 6/, the desublimer is heated to liquefy the solid. Subsequently, the liquid is recovered from the desublimer. It has been found that during the heating operation the desublimer is subjected to excessive mechanical stresses. In addition, it has been found that the incorporation of a very small percentage of relatively noncondensable, nonreactive gas (e.g., nitrogen) in the UF/sub 6/ input to the desublimer effects significant decreases in the stresses generated during the subsequent melting operation. This modification to the process provides valuable advantages in terms of reduced hazard, lower operating costs for the desublimer, and increased service life for the desublimer and its auxiliaries. The new process is especially suitable for the recovery of enriched UF/sub 6/ from high-speed UF/sub 6/ gas-centrifuge cascades.

DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OT21400
Assignee:
Dept. of Energy
Patent Number(s):
None
Application Number:
ON: DE85011627
OSTI ID:
5893704
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

050502* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Uranium Enrichment-- Centrifugation-- (-1989)
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CENTRIFUGATION
EVAPORATION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GAS CENTRIFUGATION
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLIDIFICATION
SUBLIMATION
URANIUM 235
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES