UF6 plasma chemistry reconstitution experiments using high-temperature fluorine

Prior results indicate techniques have been developed for fluid mechanical confinement of high-temperature uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) plasma for long test times while simultaneously minimizing uranium compound deposition on the walls. Follow-on investigations were conducted to demonstrate a UF₆/argon injection, separation, and reconstitution system for use with rf-heated uranium plasma confinement experiments applicable to UF₆ plasma core reactors. A static fluorine batch-type regeneration test reactor and a flowing preheated fluorine/UF₆ regeneration system were developed for converting all the nonvolatile uranium compound exhaust products back to pure UF₆ using a single reactant. Pure fluorine preheat temperatures up to 1000 K resulted in on-line regeneration efficiencies up to about 90%; static batch-type experiments resulted in 100% regeneration efficiencies but required significantly longer residence times. A custom-built, ruggedized time-of-flight (T.O.F.) mass spectrometer, sampling, and data acquisition system permitted on-line quantitative measurements of the UF₆ concentrations down to 30 ppm at various sections of the exhaust system; this system proved operational after long-time exposure to corrosive UF₆ and other uranium halides.     

Surface reactivity of uranium hexafluoride (UF6)

The present article reviews a selection of results obtained in the AREVA/CNRS/UCA joint research laboratory. It focuses on interfaces formed by uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) with chemical filter (purification), carbon (UF₆ storage), and metallic substrate (corrosion). As a matter of fact, along the nuclear fuel cycle, metallic surfaces of the fluorination reactors, cooling systems (for the liquefaction of UF₆), and storage containers are in contact with UF₆, either in the gas or in the liquid phase. For the removal of volatile impurities before the enrichment, surface of chemical filters with a high specific surface area must be enhanced for both selectivity and efficiency. To store depleted UF₆ (²³⁸U), graphite intercalation compounds are proposed and preliminary results are presented.     

Separation of systems based on uranium hexafluoride and some of halogen fluorides

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the comprehensive study of the phase equilibriums liquid-solid and liquid-vapour in binary and ternary systems, formed by uranium hexafluoride, bromine trifluoride and iodine pentafluoride.Investigation of the phase equilibriums in condensed systems is done by methods of differential thermoanalysis and visual polythermal analysis. All systems belong to simple eutectics; formation of the compounds is not detected. For all systems under investigation diagrams of the phase equilibrium liquid-solid are plotted.Phase equilibriums liquid-vapour in studied systems were studied by statistical method. All systems are non-aseotropic. The article presents diagrams of the phase equilibrium liquid-vapour in binary systems, pressure of the saturated vapour dependences on liquid composition, surface of the boiling liquid and lines of the constant content of uranium hexafluoride and iodine pentafluoride in vapour phase of the ternary system UF₆-BrF₃-IF₅.     

Nucleophilic Activation of Sulfur Hexafluoride: Metal‐Free,Selective Degradation by Phosphines

The development of new methods for the chemical activation of the extremely inert greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) not only is of current environmental interest, but also offers new opportunities for applications of SF₆ as a reagent in organic synthesis. We herein report the first nucleophilic activation of SF₆ by Lewis bases, namely by phosphines, which results either in its complete degradation to phosphine sulfides and difluorophosphoranes or in the selective conversion of SF₆ into a bench‐stable, crystalline salt containing the SF₅^? anion. Quantum chemical calculations reveal a nucleophilic substitution mechanism (S_N2) for the initial fluorine abstraction from SF₆ by the phosphine. Furthermore, a scalable one‐pot procedure for the complete decomposition of SF₆ into solid, nonvolatile products is presented based on cheap and commercially available starting materials.     

Nucleophilic Activation of Sulfur Hexafluoride: Metal‐Free,Selective Degradation by Phosphines

The development of new methods for the chemical activation of the extremely inert greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) not only is of current environmental interest, but also offers new opportunities for applications of SF₆ as a reagent in organic synthesis. We herein report the first nucleophilic activation of SF₆ by Lewis bases, namely by phosphines, which results either in its complete degradation to phosphine sulfides and difluorophosphoranes or in the selective conversion of SF₆ into a bench‐stable, crystalline salt containing the SF₅⁻ anion. Quantum chemical calculations reveal a nucleophilic substitution mechanism (S_N2) for the initial fluorine abstraction from SF₆ by the phosphine. Furthermore, a scalable one‐pot procedure for the complete decomposition of SF₆ into solid, nonvolatile products is presented based on cheap and commercially available starting materials.     

The determination of bound nitrogen in uranium hexafluoride with an ammonia electrode

Uranium hexafluoride reacts with nitrosyl fluoride (NOF), nitryl fluoride (NO₂F), and nitrogen oxides to form solid compounds such as nitrosyl heptafluorouranate (NOUF₇) and nitryl heptafluorouranate (NO₂UF₇). Since these compounds are undesirable impurities in uranium hexafluoride, a method has been developed for the determination of these nitrogen oxyfluorides in uranium hexafluoride. Uranium hexafluoride is hydrolyzed in a potassium permanganate solution which converts the uranium hexafluoride to uranyl fluoride and the nitrogen oxyfluorides to nitric acid. The nitrate is reduced with aluminum powder to ammonia, which is then measured with an ammonia electrode in a basic solution. The method is relatively interference-free because the electrode is a gas-sensing device. The detection limit is 0.8 μg bound N/g U, and the precision at 3 μg bound N/g U is ± 16%.     

Calculations of electronic structure of the UF<Subscript>6</Subscript> molecule and the UO<Subscript>2</Subscript> crystal with a relativistic pseudopotential

The influence of relativistic effects on the properties of uranium hexafluoride was considered. Detailed comparison of the spectrum of one-electron energies obtained in the nonrelativistic (by the Hartree-Fock method), relativistic (by the Dirac-Fock method), and scalar-relativistic (using a relativistic potential of the uranium atom core) calculations was carried out. The methods of optimization of atomic basis in the LCAO calculations of molecules and crystals are discussed which make it possible to consider distortion of atomic orbitals upon the formation chemical bonds. The influence of the atomic basis optimization on the results of scalar-relativistic calculations of the molecule UF₆ properties is analyzed. Calculations of the electronic structure and properties of UO₂ crystals with relativistic and nonrelativistic pseudopotentials are fulfilled.     

Oxidation of molecular bromine by uranium hexafluoride in acetonitrile. Preparation and properties of hexafluorouranates(V) containing positive bromine

Molecular bromine is oxidized by uranium hexafluoride in acetonitrile at ambient temperature. The product is formulated on the basis of its spectra, and its brominating an oxidizing abilities as [Br(C₆H₉N₃)][UF₆] in which bromine is bound to an acetonitrile trimer containing C=N bonds.     

Uranium hexafluoride reduction with hydrogen atoms

The simulation of uranium hexafluoride reduction to uranium tetrafluoride by hydrogen and fluorine in flow has demonstrated that the high-capacity thermochemical atom generators designed for continuouswave chemical lasers are promising for the industrial implementation of the continuous reduction process. Two variants of the reduction process are suggested: one uses a generator of H atoms and the other uses a generator of F atoms.     

New reprocessing system for spent nuclear reactor fuel using fluoride volatility method

Our proposed spent nuclear fuel reprocessing technology named FLUOREX, which is a hybrid system using fluoride volatility and solvent extraction, meets the requirements of the future thermal/fast breeder reactors (coexistence) cycle. We have been done semi-engineering and engineering scale experiments on the fluorination of uranium, purification of UF₆, pyrohydrolysis of fluorination residues, and dissolution of pyrohydrolysis samples in order to examine technical and engineering feasibilities for implementing FLUOREX. We found that uranium in spent fuels can be selectively volatilized by fluorination in the flame type reactor, and the amount of uranium volatilized is adjusted from 90% to 98% by changing the amount of F₂ supplied to the reactor. The volatilized uranium is purified using UO₂F₂ adsorber for plutonium and purification methods such as condensation and chemical traps for fission products provide a decontamination factor of over 10⁷. Most of the fluorination residues that consist of non-volatile fluorides of uranium, plutonium, and fission products are converted to oxides by pyrohydrolysis at 600-800 °C. Although some fluorides of fission products such as alkaline earth metals and lanthanides are not converted completely and fluorine is discharged into the solution, oxides of U and Pu obtained by pyrohydrolysis are dissolved into nitric acid solution because of the low solubility of lanthanide fluorides. These results support our opinion that FLUOREX has great possibilities for being a part of the future spent nuclear fuel cycle system.     

Chemical and radiochemical characterization of depleted uranium in contaminated soils

The main results of chemical and radiochemical characterization and fractionation of depleted uranium in soils contaminated during the Balkan conflict in 1999 are presented in the paper. Alpha-spectrometric analysis of used depleted uranium material has shown the presence of man-made radioisotopes ²³⁶U, ²³⁷Np, and ^{239, 240}Pu traces. The fractionation in different soil types was examined by the application of a modified Tessier’s five-step sequential chemical extraction procedure, specifically selective to certain physical/chemical associations. After ion-exchange-based radiochemical separation of uranium, depleted uranium is distinguished from naturally occurring uranium in extracts on the basis of the isotopic activity ratios ²³⁴U/²³⁸U and ²³⁵U/²³⁸U and particular substrates for recently present uranium material in soils are indicated. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Role of elemental fluorine in nuclear field

The preparation of fluorine gas by Henri Moissan by electrolysis of molten fluorides can be considered as one of the most important discoveries during the last centuries. Indeed, in addition to its use in many industrial fields (microelectronic, surface cleaning, pharmacology, medicine, …), fluorine gas is strongly involved in nuclear field for the preparation of UF₆. The latter allows the natural uranium enrichment via the gaseous diffusion process. Due to the increase of the energy demand in industrialised and emergent countries, the production of UF₆ and consequently of F₂ should increase drastically during the next decades. The aim of this paper is to summarise the evolution of the process to produce fluorine from its discovery to the present process. Few aspects on the researches done for a better understanding of the fluorine evolution reaction are presented. The use of fluorine in the nuclear field is also discussed.     

Rubidium uranium trisulphate: A new chemical assay standard for uranium

Rubidium uranium trisulphate [Rb₂U(SO₄)₃] was prepared as a high purity compound of uranium in different lots of 250 g each. The compound was characterised and evaluated by chemical, atomic spectrosopic, infrared, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric methods for its use as a chemical assay standard for uranium. The compound is stoichiometric, pure, homogeneous and stable in atmospheric conditions. The solubility studies showed that Rb₂U(SO₄)₃ is easily soluble in mineral acids. An experiment based on Randomised Block Design was carried out to assign a value to the uranium content in Rb₂U(SO₄)₃ from the statistically analysed chemical data. The assigned value of [34.167±0.042]% to the uranium content is in close agreement with the theoretical value of 34.152%. Based on these studies, Rb₂U(SO₄)₃ is recommended as a chemical assay standard for uranium.     

Nucleophilic Activation of Sulfur Hexafluoride by N-Heterocyclic Carbenes and N-Heterocyclic Olefins: A Computational Study

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) is considered as a potent greenhouse gas, whose effective degradation is challenging. Here we report a computational study on the nucleophilic activation of sulfur hexafluoride by N-heterocyclic carbenes and N-heterocyclic olefins. The result shows that the activation of SF₆ is both thermodynamically and kinetically favorable at mild condition using NHOs with fluoro-substituted azolium and sulfur pentafluoride anion being formed. The Gibbs free energy barrier during the activation of SF₆ has a linear relationship with the energy of HOMO of substrates, which could be a guideline for applying those compounds that feature higher energy in HOMO to activate SF₆ in high efficiency.     

Redox reactions of uranium hexafluoride. Comparison with phosphorus pentafluoride and preparation of copper(I) hexafluorouranate(V) [1]

Molecular iodine is oxidised by phosphorus pentafluoride in iodine pentafluoride at room temperature giving I₂⁺, PF₆^?, and PF₃. I₂⁺ is formed from uranium hexafluoride under similar conditions, but further oxidation occurs depending on the reaction stoicheiometry used. In all cases uranium pentafluoride is formed. Copper(II) fluoride reacts with UF₅ in acetonitrile at room temperature to give copper(II) hexafluorouranate(V), which is reduced by copper metal to give the copper(I) salt. The latter compound is formed from UF₆ and Cu metal, via the Cu^II salt, only if a fresh Cu surface is used for the reduction step.     

The U4Re7Si6 type – Trends in electronic structure and chemical bonding

The electronic structures and chemical bonding of selected ternary compounds of the A₄T₇X₆ family (of U₄Re₇Si₆-type) intermetallics have been studied by ab initio methods. The calculations for two series: Mg₄Rh₇P₆, Sc₄Co₇Ge₆, Ti₄Co₇Ge₆ and uranium containing U₄Re₇Si₆, U₄Ru₇Ge₆, and U₄Ru₇As₆ show common bonding characteristics pertaining to main T1–X and T2–X interactions (T = transition metal and X = p-element) due to the peculiar crystal chemistry with T1@X₆ and T2@X₄ coordination polyhedra. The uranium compounds are found to be stabilized in a spin polarized ferromagnetic configuration, especially for U₄Ru₇Ge₆ (in agreement with experiment) and U₄Ru₇As₆.     

Infrared spectra of some uranium oxyfluoride molecules isolated in solid argon

Reaction of laser-ablated uranium with oxygen/fluorine mixtures or laser-ablated uranium dioxide ceramic with fluorine produces the uranium oxyfluorides molecules UO₂F₂, UO₂F and UOF₄, which have been isolated in solid argon and identified by virtue of the effects of oxygen isotopic substitution on their infrared spectra.     

Chemical vapour deposition of germanium-containing films by IR laser-induced decomposition of ethoxy(trimethyl)germane

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) laser-induced decomposition of ethoxy(trimethyl)germane (ETG) results in a substantial stripping of organic substituents from germanium and leads to deposition of organogermanium films, the composition of which is dependent on the mode of laser irradiation. Direct absorption of laser radiation in ETG affords material rich in Germanium, while a sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆)-photosensitized process produces a deposit composed of Germanium, Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. The deposited materials can be modified by chemical reactions with acetic anhydride and atmospheric moisture.     

Mass spectrometry determination of the isotopic composition of uranium hexafluoride

An absolute method for the determination of isotopic composition of substances in multiple collector mass spectrometers was proposed. The detailed analysi of terms used in the method for the determination of the isotopic composition of uranium hexafluoride was given. Parabolic nature of occurring constant measurement error, obtained in theory, was proved by test data for ²³⁵U within a wide range of its concentrations. In order to use the method of measurements in practice, the registration of constant error, through linear discriminatory relations Δc _i (c _i ), preliminary determined using uranium hexafluoride with standard isotopic composition, was proposed. The advantages of the developed method in comparison with the traditional analysis procedures, applied at present, were considered.     

Plasma polymerization. III. An ESCA investigation of polymers synthesized by excitation of inductively coupled RF plasmas in perfluorocyclohexa-1,3- and 1,4-dienes,and in perfluorocyclohexene

The plasma polymers prepared from perfluorocyclohexa-1,3-diene, perfluorocyclohexa-1,4-diene, and perfluorocyclohexene have been investigated by ESCA. The carbon-to-fluorine stoichiometries of the diene-derived polymers are similar and close to that of the starting material. The polymer prepared from perfluorocyclohexene is depleted in fluorine compared to the fluorine content of the “monomer.” The polymers prepared in nonglow regions are also studied and shown to be high in C F₂ derived species. The results are compared with those for perfluorobenzene and perfluorocyclohexane, and the polymerization rates are in the order C₆F₆ > C₆F₈ 1,3 ～ 1,4 > C₆F₁₀ ～ C₆F₁₂. The variations in composition of the plasma polymer as revealed by ESCA as a function of the polymerization conditions are discussed.