Process for the preparation of uranium tetrafluoride by the reduction of uranium hexafluoride and sulphur fluorides produced by this process
AssigneeCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorJacques Lambard
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Abstract
A process for the preparation of uranium tetrafluoride by reduction of gaseous uranium hexafluoride using: (1) sulphur vapor with a minimum of halogen and/or a halide, chosen from among Cl.sub.2, Br.sub.2, S.sub.2 F.sub.2, SCL.sub.2, S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2, and S.sub.2 Br.sub.2 ; or (2) a minimum of one sulphur halide chosen from among S.sub.2 F.sub.2, SCL.sub.2, S.sub.2 CL.sub.2, and S.sub.2 Br.sub.2. The ratio R of the total number of gram-atoms of sulphur present during the reduction reaction to the number of gram-moles of UF.sub.6 is at least 0.6.
Claims12
A process for the preparation of uranium tetrafluoride comprising the steps of reducing gaseous uranium hexafluoride by reaction at a temperature of from 100.degree. to 500.degree. C. with a reducing agent to produce uranium tetrafluoride, said reducing agent comprising:
- (a) sulphur vapor and at least one member of the group consisting of Cl.sub.2, Br.sub.2, S.sub.2 F.sub.2, SCL.sub.2, S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2, and S.sub.2 Br.sub.2 ;
- or
- (b) at least one member of the group consisting of S.sub.2 F.sub.2, SCl.sub.2, S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2, and S.sub.2 Br.sub.2, and
- regulating the quantities of reducing agent and uranium hexafluoride so that the ratio R is at least 0.6, where R=(S)/(UF.sub.6), (S) is the total number of gram-atoms of sulphur present during the reduction reaction and (UF.sub.6) is the total number of gram-moles of UF.sub.6.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.