Production of uranium dioxide. [Patent 3; stage fluidized bed reaction of UF/sub 6/ with H/sub 2/ and steam]

Patent · Tue Apr 26 00:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:7322614

Knudsen, I E

A three stage fluidized bed process is described for converting uranium hexafluoride (UF/sub 6/) to a ceramic-grade uranium dioxide (UO/sub 2/) powder by first, reacting hydrogen and steam with UF/sub 6/ in a first fluidized bed in a temperature range of from about 475 to 600/sup 0/C to form solid intermediate products UO/sub 2/F/sub 2/ and U/sub 3/O/sub 8/; second, reacting hydrogen and steam with the intermediate products in a second fluidized bed at a temperature ranging from about 575 to about 675/sup 0/C to produce a second group of intermediate products including UO/sub 2/F/sub 2/, U/sub 3/O/sub 8/, and UO/sub 2/; and, third, reacting hydrogen and steam with the second group of intermediate products in a third fluidized bed as a temperature of 575 to 675/sup 0/C to produce ceramic grade UO/sub 2/ powder having low residual content of fluorides and other foreign materials. 9 claims, 1 figure.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 4020146
• Application Number: TRN: 77-014995
• OSTI ID: 7322614
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 5 Jul 1973
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
URANIUM DIOXIDE
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
FLUIDIZED BED
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN
STEAM
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SYNTHESIS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
URANIUM OXIDES
050400* - Nuclear Fuels- Feed Processing
360201 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Preparation & Fabrication
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties