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Method and apparatus for providing negative ions of actinide-metal hexafluorides

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6344724
; ;

This invention relates to a novel method and a novel generator, or source, for providing gaseous negative ions of selected metal hexafluorides. The method is summarized as follows: in an evacuated zone, reacting gaseous fluorine with an actinide-metal body selected from the group consisting of uranium, plutonium, neptunium, and americium to convert at least part of the metal to the hexafluoride state, thus producing gaseous negatively charged metal-hexafluoride ions in the evacuated zone, and applying an electric field to the zone to remove the ions therefrom. The ion source comprises a chamber defining a reaction zone; means for evacuating the zone; an actinide-metal body in the zone, the metal being uranium, plutonium, neptunium, or americium; means for contacting the body with gaseous fluorine to convert at least a part thereof to the hexafluoride state; and means for applying an electric field to the evacuated zone to extract gaseous, negatively charged metal-hexafluoride ions therefrom. The invention provides unique advantages over conventional surface-ionization techniques for producing such ions.

Assignee:
Dept. of Energy
Patent Number(s):
US 4105746
OSTI ID:
6344724
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

050500 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Uranium Enrichment
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400702* -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Properties of Radioactive Materials
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
AMERICIUM COMPOUNDS
AMERICIUM FLUORIDES
ANIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GASES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IONIZATION
IONIZED GASES
IONS
LOW PRESSURE
NEPTUNIUM COMPOUNDS
NEPTUNIUM FLUORIDES
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM FLUORIDES
PRODUCTION
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE