Uranium atmospheric corrosion

Properties. Uranium metal is a dense, bright silvery, ductile, and malleable metal. Uranium is highly electropositive, resembling magnesium, and tarnishes rapidly on exposure to air. Even a poHshed surface becomes coated with a dark-colored oxide layer in a short time upon exposure to air. At elevated temperatures, uranium metal reacts with most common metals and refractories. Finely divided uranium reacts, even at room temperature, with all components of the atmosphere except the noble gases. The silvery luster of freshly cleaned uranium metal is rapidly converted first to a golden yellow, and then to a black oxide—nitride film within three to four days. Powdered uranium is usually pyrophoric, an important safety consideration in the machining of uranium parts. The corrosion characteristics of uranium have been discussed in detail (28). 

Uranium hexafluoride [7783-81-5], UF, is an extremely corrosive, colorless, crystalline soHd, which sublimes with ease at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The complex can be obtained by multiple routes, ie, fluorination of UF [10049-14-6] with F2, oxidation of UF with O2, or fluorination of UO [1344-58-7] by F2. The hexafluoride is monomeric in nature having an octahedral geometry. UF is soluble in H2O, CCl and other chlorinated hydrocarbons, is insoluble in CS2, and decomposes in alcohols and ethers. The importance of UF in isotopic enrichment and the subsequent apphcations of uranium metal cannot be overstated. The U.S. government has approximately 500,000 t of UF stockpiled for enrichment or quick conversion into nuclear weapons had the need arisen (57). With the change in pohtical tides and the downsizing of the nation s nuclear arsenal, debates over releasing the stockpiles for use in the production of fuel for civiUan nuclear reactors continue. 

Hexavalent. Uranium hexafluoride, UFe, is one of the best-studied uranium compounds in existence due to its importance for uranium isotope separation and large-scale production ( 70 000 tons per year). All of the actinide hexafluorides are extremely corrosive white (U), orange (Np), or dark brown (Pu) crystalline solids, which sublime with ease at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The synthetic routes into the hexafluorides are given in equation (13). The volatility of the hexafluorides increases in the order Pu < Np < U in the liquid state and Pu < U < Np in the solid state. UFe is soluble in H2O, CCI4, and other chlorinated hydrocarbons, is insoluble in CS2, and decomposes in alcohols and ethers. The oxidative power of the actinide hexafluorides are in line with the transition metal hexafluorides and the order of reactivity is as follows PuFg > NpFg > UFg > MoFe > WFe. The UFe molecule can also react with metal fluorides to form UF7 and UFg. The same reactivity is not observed for the Np and Pu analogs. 

BorosUicate-i ass Raschig rings purchased to ANSI N16.4 1971 standard are used as neutron absorbers in a hostile, corrosive chemical atmosphere in the NNFD uranium scrap recovery process. In the processing of highly enriched uranium, fixed neutron absorbers are required in all vessels greater than five-inch diameter to prevent the occurrence of possible critical reactions. 

If a failure occurred in which an air or steam ambient temperature of about 21 OF was somehow maintained in the reactor vessel, it is expected that some of the fuel plate cladding of the natural uranium plates will fail, exposing uranium. There is insufficient test information available at the present time on zirconimn corrosion to indicate whether or not the cladding of the enriched fuel plates would also be expected to fail. It should be pointed out that it would be necessary to somehow have some water or vapor make-up to maintain a 21 OF atmosphere. A failure that could result in this condition is considered less likely than the types of failures mentioned in items 1 and 2. 

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