DESTRUCTION OF METAL HALIDES USING SOLVATED ELECTRONS

摘要

Methods for the destruction of metal halides, and particularly transition metal halides, are performed by creating a reaction mixture prepared from raw materials which include at least one metal halide, a nitrogenous base and an active metal, such as sodium in an amount sufficient to dehalogenate, reduce or otherwise decompose the metal halide; and then react the mixture. Methods of the invention subject transition metal halides, including uranium hexafluoride, tungsten hexafluoride, etc., to a "dissolving metal reduction" to produce a composition comprising salts and oxides of the metals, including elemental metals, like uranium, tungsten, etc. Thus, potentially hazardous transition metal halides, like UF6 and depleted UF6 are fully converted to their base metals, and less volatile metal oxides. While uranium metal would still be radioactive it is no longer in such a volatile format.