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Uranium hexafluoride, sometimes called hex, is an inorganic compound with the formula U F 6. Uranium hexafluoride is a volatile, toxic white solid that is used in the process of enriching uranium , which produces fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons .
Uranium hexafluoride is the feedstock used to separate uranium-235 from natural uranium. All uranium fluorides are created using uranium tetrafluoride (UF 4); UF 4 itself is prepared by hydrofluorination of uranium dioxide. [6] Reduction of UF 4 with hydrogen at 1000 °C produces uranium trifluoride (UF 3).
Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 (written 235 U) has been increased through the process of isotope separation.Naturally occurring uranium is composed of three major isotopes: uranium-238 (238 U with 99.2732–99.2752% natural abundance), uranium-235 (235 U, 0.7198–0.7210%), and uranium-234 (234 U, 0.0049–0.0059%).
It said the worker died from a "mechanical injury" caused by a breach in a container of uranium hexafluoride, a chemical compound used in uranium enrichment. Cylinder ruptures in Russian uranium ...
Many molecules fit this formula. An important hexafluoride is hexafluorosilicic acid (H 2 SiF 6), which is a byproduct of the mining of phosphate rock. In the nuclear industry, uranium hexafluoride (UF 6) is an important intermediate in the purification of this element.
The first step to enriching uranium begins by converting uranium oxide (created through the uranium milling process) into a gaseous form. This gas is known as uranium hexafluoride, which is created by combining hydrogen fluoride, fluorine, and uranium oxide. Uranium dioxide is also present in this process and is sent off to be used in reactors ...
This is known as flame fluorination; the heat produced helps the reaction proceed. Most of the uranium, which makes up the bulk of the fuel, is converted to uranium hexafluoride, the form of uranium used in uranium enrichment, which has a very low boiling point.
Depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUHF; also referred to as depleted uranium tails, depleted uranium tailings or DUF 6) is a byproduct of the processing of uranium hexafluoride into enriched uranium. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] It is one of the chemical forms of depleted uranium (up to 73-75%), along with depleted triuranium octoxide (up to 25%) and depleted ...