Chemical Properties of Uranium Hexafluoride, UF6

Technical Report · Wed Jun 25 04:00:00 EDT 1941

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/962915· OSTI ID:962915

Grosse, Aristid V

Uranium hexafluoride has the distinction of being the only stable gaseous compound of uranium known up to the present moment. Because of this property it is the only compound that can be used for processes of isotope separation, such as diffusion, thermal diffusion, centrifuge separation, distillation, and other of a similar nature. Here is a short description of the properties of UF{sub 6} and is intended for a reader interested only casually in this compound. UF{sub 6} is a very reactive compound and a very strong fluorinating agent. It is immediately hydrolized by water. In fluorinating reactions it is reduced to the green highly stable UF{sub 4}. It reacts instantaneously with hydrogen at room temperature. It fluorinates many metals; sodium and mercury are attacked in the cold, lead, zinc, tin and iron on heating; platinum and gold react only above 400 C. With organic compounds like alcohol, ether, benzene or toluene, immediate fluorination takes place with formation of HF and carbon or carbonaceous material. The compound forms colorless, very volatile, beautiful transparent crystals of high refractive index. Melting point = 69.5{sup o}; boiling point at 760 mm = 56.2{sup o}; D20{sup o} = 4.68. The crystals melt water pressure to a transparent colorless liquid of high density, but great mobility.

• Research Organization: Columbia University, New York, NY
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 962915
• Report Number(s): A-83
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
BOILING POINTS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
DIFFUSION
DISTILLATION
FLUORINATION
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
MELTING POINTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
REFRACTIVE INDEX
THERMAL DIFFUSION
URANIUM
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE