Uranium tetra:fluoride continuous prodn. - from uranium di:oxide and excess hydrogen fluoride with recovery and re-use of excess as aq. hydrofluoric acid

摘要

In the continuous prodn. of UF4 by reacting UO2 with a stoichiometric excess of HF at 200-600 deg.C, with complete utilisation of the HF needed for the reaction, the gases leaving the reaction are cooled, so that the water formed in the reaction condenses with the excess HF to form aq. HF acid. This condensate is sepd. into water and an azeotrope of ca. 40% aq. HF acid by fractional distn. and this 40% acid is added together with anhydrous HF in subsequent conversion of UO2 to UF4. Quantitative utilisation of the HF is attained without the prodn. of radioactive sec. waste.