Plutonium hexafluoride preparation

Another unsuccessful attempt has been made to prepare AmFe, by fluorinating Am203 in the presence of PtFe (100). Complexes of UFe such as Na2UF8 (d3), NH4UF7 (102) and NOUF7 (56) are now known, but the complexing behavior of neptunium and plutonium hexafluorides and uranium hexachloride has scarcely been investigated. 

The volatile plutonium hexafluoride can be prepared by fluorination of the tetrafluoride at 550°C ... 

Although the existence of a volatile higher fluoride of plutonium had been surmised from tracer experiments, positive evidence of the existence of PuF6 was obtained by Florin (31) who first prepared the compound. An investigation of the preparation and properties of PuF6 was also conducted by Mandleberg et al. (58). but in recent years the compound has been most intensively studied by Weinstock and his collaborators. Plutonium hexafluoride can be prepared by a variety of procedures similar to those used for the preparation of uranium hexafluoride. The most widely used method consists in the fluorination of plutonium tetrafluoride with elemental fluorine. Whereas uranium hexafluoride can be prepared by the analogous reaction at 300°, and neptunium hexafluoride at 500°, the preparation of plutonium hexafluoride by this reaction appears to require a... 

Fig. 7. Reactor for preparation of plutonium hexafluoride (86). A, nickel dish filled with PuF< B, brass reactor can C, removable cover for loading reactor D, tongue and groove Teflon gasket for closure E, nickel supporting rod for nickel dish F, coil of 3/16-in. o.d. copper tubing G, Fluorothene window H, Teflon seal and insulator I, Micalex insulator.

All of die halides except tile hexafluoride and the triiodide may be prepared by the hydrohalogenation of rhe dioxide or of the oxalate of plutonium(lll) at a temperature of about 700°C. With hydrogen fluoride the reaction product is PUF4, unless hydrogen is added to the gas stream, in which case the trifluoride is produced. With hydrogen iodide the reaction product is PuOi, and the other oxyhalides may be formed by the addition of appropriate quantities of water vapor to the hydrogen halide gas. Plutonium triiodide is produced by the reaction of the metal with hydrogen iodide at about 400°C. The hexafluoride is produced by direct combination of the... 

---