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

Patent · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:863151

Compton, Robert N ^[1]; Reinhardt, Paul W ^[2]; Garrett, William R ^[1]

---

1. Oak Ridge, TN
2. Kingston, TN

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.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4105746
• OSTI ID: 863151
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/423/204/250/422/
actinide-metal
advantages
americium
apparatus
applying
chamber
charged
comprises
consisting
contacting
conventional
convert
defining
electric
electric field
evacuated
evacuating
extract
field
fluorine
follows
gaseous
gaseous fluorine
generator
hexafluoride
hexafluorides
means
metal
metal hexafluorides
metal-hexafluoride
method
negative
negatively
negatively charged
neptunium
novel
novel method
plutonium
producing
producing gaseous
provides
providing
reacting
reacting gaseous
reaction
reaction zone
relates
remove
selected
selected metal
source
source comprises
summarized
surface-ionization
techniques
therefrom
unique
uranium
zone