Process for continuous production of metallic uranium and uranium alloys

A process for forming metallic uranium which comprises:

• a) providing a source of uranium dioxide (UO.sub.2);
• b) feeding said uranium dioxide into a molten bath consisting essentially of uranium tetrachloride and a reducing agent to form uranium tetrachloride (UCl.sub.4);
• c) chlorinating said uranium dioxide in said molten bath of uranium tetrachloride to form uranium tetrachloride;
• and
• d) reducing said uranium tetrachloride by reacting said uranium tetrachloride with a reducing metal which is a greater reducing agent than uranium in the electromotive-force series of elements in a molten metal reduction bath maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to permit recovery Of said metallic uranium in molten form from said reduction bath.

A process for forming metallic uranium which comprises:

• a) providing a source of uranium dioxide (UO.sub.2);
• b) chlorinating said uranium dioxide to form uranium tetrachloride (UCl.sub.4);
• and
• c) reducing said uranium tetrachloride to metallic uranium by reacting said uranium tetrachloride with a reducing metal which is a greater reducing agent than uranium in the electromotive-force series of elements, in the presence of an alloying metal capable of forming one or more alloys with the resulting reduced uranium metal to thereby lower the temperature at which said uranium will be in a liquid state.

A process for forming metallic uranium which comprises:

• a) providing a source of uranium dioxide (UO.sub.2);
• b) chlorinating said uranium dioxide in a molten bath of uranium tetrachloride in the presence of a carbonaceous reducing agent to form uranium tetrachloride (UCl.sub.4);
• and
• c) reducing said uranium tetrachloride by reacting said uranium tetrachloride with a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of lithium and an alkaline earth metal in a molten metal reduction bath maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to permit recovery of said metallic uranium in molten form from said reduction bath.

A process for forming metallic uranium which comprises:

• a) forming uranium dioxide (UO.sub.2) by reducing a uranium oxide selected from the group consisting of UO.sub.3 and U.sub.3 O.sub.8 while contacting said uranium oxide with a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and carbon, whereby no solid residues will be formed during said reduction step to form said uranium dioxide;
• b) chlorinating said uranium dioxide in a molten bath of uranium tetrachloride in the presence of a particulate carbon reducing agent to form uranium tetrachloride (UCl.sub.4) by flowing a mixture of chlorine gas and carbon monoxide into said molten bath of uranium tetrachloride in a carbon monoxide/chlorine molar ratio of from 0:1 to 1:1;
• and
• c) reducing said uranium tetrachloride by reacting said uranium tetrachloride with magnesium metal to form metallic uranium and magnesium chloride in a molten metal reduction bath maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to permit recovery of said metallic uranium in molten form from said reduction bath.