Uranium hexafluoride purification

A system for the purification of a UF.sub.6 gas stream comprising a reaction vessel, a source of unpurified gaseous UF.sub.6, a source of a gaseous fluorinating agent, means for admitting said unpurified UF.sub.6 and said fluorinating agent into the reaction vessel, means for irradiating said unpurified UF.sub.6 and said fluorinating agent in the reaction vessel, wherein said irradiating means generate laser radiation having a frequency in the range of below about 24,000 cm.sup.-1, means for allowing gases to exit the reaction vessel, means for separating the gases exiting the reaction vessel, and means for collecting the separated gases.

A method of purifying a UF.sub.6 gas stream containing UF.sub.6 molecules having fluoride impurities, the method comprising irradiating the UF.sub.6 gas stream with laser radiation in a vessel in order to selectively convert at least a portion of the fluoride impurities in the gas stream to involatile products, removing the purified UF.sub.6 gas stream from the vessel and separately removing the impurities from the vessel, said UF.sub.6 gas stream being irradiated with the laser radiation having a frequency range of below about 24,000 cm.sup.-1 wherein said UF.sub.6 molecules are not dissociated by said laser radiation.