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Low-Temperature Synthesis of Plutonium Hexafluoride

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Abstract

Fluoridation of uranium tetrafluoride by atomic fluorine and radiolytic plutonium tetrafluoride by atomic fluorine and dioxygen difluoride are investigated. The mechanism and the limiting stages of the processes with atomic fluorine are described. It is shown that plutonium tetrafluoride is fluoridated directly by dioxygen difluoride molecules and not by the products of its thermal decomposition.

Kinetic equations are obtained for the fluoridation of plutonium tetrafluoride. These equations are of first order in the gaseous reagent and the specific surface area of tetrafluoride. The effectiveness of atomic fluorine and dioxygen difluoride for synthesis and recovery of plutonium hexafluoride are compared.

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Erilov, P.E., Titov, V.V., Serik, V.F. et al. Low-Temperature Synthesis of Plutonium Hexafluoride. Atomic Energy 92, 57–63 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015106730457

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015106730457

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