Method for the production of low enriched uranium hexafluoride from highly-enriched metallic uranium

A method for the production of low enriched uranium hexafluoride from highly enriched metallic uranium, which comprises:

• oxidizing highly enriched in uranium-235 metallic uranium at a temperature of 700.degree.-1100.degree. C. whereby uranium oxide is produced,
• fluorinating the resultant oxide with elementary fluorine at a temperature of 300.degree.-1500.degree. C. and a fluorine excess exceeding the stoichiometric value and subsequently desublimating the resultant uranium hexafluoride, and
• producing low enriched uranium hexafluoride by means of sublimating and mixing in a gas flow the resultant highly enriched uranium hexafluoride with uranium hexafluoride, introduced in a gas phase and containing uranium-235 within a range of 0.2-4.9% by weight, the ratio of the highly enriched uranium hexafluoride to the uranium hexafluoride, used for mixing with the highly enriched uranium hexafluoride, being defined by the equation:
• ##EQU5## where C.sup.HEU is the content of uranium-235 in the highly enriched uranium,
• C.sup.LEU is the content of uranium-235 in the low enriched uranium,
• C is the content of uranium-235 in uranium the hexafluoride of which is used for mixing.