Uranium hexafluoride



Uranium hexafluoride
IUPAC name Uranium hexafluoride
Uranium(VI) fluoride
Identifiers
CAS number 7783-81-5
Structure
Crystal structure close packed (HCP)
Molecular shape Octahedral
Dipole moment zero
Thermochemistry
Std enthalpy of
formation ΔfHo298 		-2317 kJ/mol
Standard molar
entropy So298 		228 J.K−1.mol−1
Related Compounds
Other anions Uranium(VI) chloride
Other cations Thorium(IV) fluoride
Protactinium(V) fluoride
Neptunium(VI) fluoride
Plutonium(VI) fluoride
Related compounds Uranium trifluoride
Uranium tetrafluoride
Uranium pentafluoride
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox disclaimer and references

Uranium hexafluoride (UF6), referred to as "hex" in the nuclear industry, is a compound used in the standard temperature and pressure (STP), is highly toxic, reacts violently with water and is corrosive to most metals. It reacts mildly with aluminum, forming a thin surface layer of AlF3 that resists further reaction.

Milled uranium ore — U3O8, or "fluorine finally yields UF6.

 

Application in the nuclear fuel cycle

  It is used in both of the main uranium enrichment methods, isotope present.[1]

All the other uranium fluorides are involatile solids which are coordination polymers.

Gaseous diffusion requires ca. 60 times as much energy as the gas centrifuge process; even so, this is just 4% of the energy that can be produced by the resulting enriched uranium.

In addition to its use in enrichment, uranium hexafluoride has been used in an advanced reprocessing method which was developed in the Czech Republic. In this process used nuclear fuel is treated with fluorine gas to form a mixture of fluorides. This is then distilled to separate the different classes of material.

Storage in gas cylinders

About 95% of the hydrogen fluoride) both of which are highly soluble and toxic. Storage cylinders must be regularly inspected for signs of corrosion and leaks. The estimated life time of the steel cylinders is measured in decades.[4]

There have been several accidents involving uranium hexafluoride in the United States.[5][6] The U.S. government has been converting DUF6 to solid uranium oxides for disposal.[7] Such disposal of the entire DUF6 inventory could cost anywhere from 15 million to 450 million US dollars.[8]

Chemistry

The solid state structure was reported by J.H. Levy, J.C Taylor and A.B Waugh.[9] In this paper neutron diffraction was used to determine the structures of UF6, MoF6 and WF6 at 77K.

It has been shown that uranium hexafluoride is an acetonitrile is reported to form Cu[UF7]2.5MeCN.[10]

Polymeric uranium(VI) fluorides containing organic cations have been isolated and characterised by X-ray diffraction.[11]

Other uranium fluorides

The pentafluoride of uranium (UF5) and diuranium nonafluoride (U2F9) has been characterised by C.J. Howard, J.C Taylor and A.B. Waugh.[12]


The trifluoride of uranium was characterised by J. Laveissiere.[13]


The structure of UOF4 was reported by J.H. Levy, J.C. Taylor, and P.W. Wilson.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ Uranium Enrichment and the Gaseous Diffusion Process. USEC Inc. Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
  2. ^ How much depleted uranium hexafluoride is stored in the United States?. Depleted UF6 FAQs. Argonne National Laboratory.
  3. ^ http://web.ead.anl.gov/uranium/documents/index.cfm
  4. ^ What is DUF6? Is it dangerous and what should we do with it?. Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (2007-09-24).
  5. ^ Have there been accidents involving uranium hexafluoride?. Depleted UF6 FAQs. Argonne National Laboratory.
  6. ^ Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) Tailings: Characteristics, Transport and Storage at the Siberian Chemical Combine (Sibkhimkombinat) Tomsk (briefing note). Large and Associates (5 November 2005). Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
  7. ^ What is going to happen to the uranium hexafluoride stored in the United States?. Depleted UF6 FAQs. Argonne National Laboratory.
  8. ^ Are there any currently-operating disposal facilities that can accept all of the depleted uranium oxide that would be generated from conversion of DOE's depleted UF6 inventory?. Depleted UF6 FAQs. Argonne National Laboratory.
  9. ^ J.H. Levy, J.C Taylor and A.B Waugh (1983). "Neutron powder structural studies of UF6, MoF6 and WF6 at 77 K". Journal of Fluorine Chemistry 23: 29-36. doi:10.1016/S0022-1139(00)81276-2.
  10. ^ Berry JA, Poole RT, Prescott A, Sharp DWA, Winfield JM (1976). "The oxidising and fluoride ion acceptor properties of uranium hexafluoride in acetonitrile". J. Chem. Soc. Dalton Trans.: 272. doi:10.1039/DT9760000272. x
  11. ^ Walker SM, Halasyamani PS, Allen S, O'Hare D (1999). "From Molecules to Frameworks: Variable Dimensionality in the UO2(CH3COO)2·2H2O/HF(aq)/Piperazine System. Syntheses, Structures, and Characterization of Zero-Dimensional (C4N2H12)UO2F4·3H2O, One-Dimensional (C4N2H12)2U2F12·H2O, Two-Dimensional (C4N2H12)2(U2O4F5)4·11H2O, and Three-Dimensional (C4N2H12)U2O4F6". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121: 10513. doi:10.1021/ja992145f. x
  12. ^ Howard CJ, Taylor JC, Waugh AB (1982). "Crystallographic parameters in α-UF5 and U2F9 by multiphase refinement of high-resolution neutron powder data". Journal of Solid State Chemistry 45: 396-398. doi:10.1016/0022-4596(82)90185-2. x
  13. ^ Laveissiere J (1967). "". Bulletin de la Societe Francaise de Mineralogie et de Cristallographie 90: 304-307.
  14. ^ Levy JH, Taylor JC, Wilson PW (1977). "Structure of fluorides .17. NEUTRON-DIFFRACTION STUDY OF ALPHA-URANIUM OXIDE TETRAFLUORIDE". Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry 39: 1989-1991.

Further reading

  • Levy JH (1976). "Structure of fluorides. Part XII. Single-crystal neutron diffraction study of uranium hexafluoride at 293 K". J. Chem. Soc. Dalton Trans.: 219. doi:10.1039/DT9760000219.x (xstal structure)
  • Olah GH, Welch J (1978). "Synthetic methods and reactions. 46. Oxidation of organic compounds with uranium hexafluoride in haloalkane solutions". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 100: 5396. doi:10.1021/ja00485a024. x (selective oxidant of CFCs)
 
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