Uranium oxidation

The larger cations of Group 1 (K, Rb, Cs) can be precipitated from aqueous solution as white solids by addition of the reagent sodium tetraphenylborate, NaB(C( H5)4. Sodium can be precipitated as the yellow sodium zinc uranium oxide ethanoate (sodium zinc uranyl acetate). NaZn(U02)3(CH3C00)y. 9H2O. by adding a clear solution of zinc uranyl acetate in dilute ethanoic acid to a solution of a sodium salt. 

Planet Uranus) Yellow-colored glass, containing more than 1% uranium oxide and dating back to 79 A.D., has been found near Naples, Italy. Klaproth recognized an unknown element in pitchblende and attempted to isolate the metal in 1789. 

Uranium can be prepared by reducing uranium halides with alkali or alkaline earth metals or by reducing uranium oxides by calcium, aluminum, or carbon at high temperatures. The metal can also be produced by electrolysis of KUF5 or UF4, dissolved in a molten mixture of CaCl2 and NaCl. High-purity uranium can be prepared by the thermal decomposition of uranium halides on a hot filament. 

The balance of hydrogen fluoride is used ia appHcations such as stainless steel pickling inorganic fluoride production, alkylation (qv), uranium enrichment, and fluorine production. Hydrogen fluoride is used to convert uranium oxide to UF which then reacts with elemental fluorine to produce volatile UF. ... 

To convert naturally occurring uranium oxide, yellow cake or U Og, to the gaseous UF, hydrofluoric acid is first used to convert the U Og to UF. Further fluorination using fluorine (generated from more HF) is employed to convert the UF to UF. The UF is then processed at gaseous diffusion enrichment plants. 

Dioxygea difluoride has fouad some appHcatioa ia the coaversioa of uranium oxides to UF (66), ia fluoriaatioa of actinide fluorides and oxyfluorides to AcF (67), and in the recovery of actinides from nuclear wastes (68) (see Actinides and transactinides Nuclear reaction, waste managel nt). 

Geochemical Nature and Types of Deposits. The cmst of the earth contains approximately 2—3 ppm uranium. AlkaHc igneous rock tends to be more uraniferous than basic and ferromagnesian igneous rocks (10). Elemental uranium oxidizes readily. The solubiHty and distribution of uranium in rocks and ore deposits depend primarily on valence state. The hexavalent uranium ion is highly soluble, the tetravalent ion relatively insoluble. Uraninite, the most common mineral in uranium deposits, contains the tetravalent ion (II). 

The raw material for nuclear reactor fuel, uranium, exits the mining—milling sequence as uranium oxide. Because of its color, it is called yellow cake. The yellow cake is converted to uranium hexafluoride and enriched in 235u... 

MO fuel designed for use in existing LWRs is typically exposed to bum-ups greater than 40 x 10 MW-d/t. The discharged MO fuel has essentially the same uranium enrichment as uranium oxide fuel, but has a greater total amount of plutonium. 

The fifth component is the stmcture, a material selected for weak absorption for neutrons, and having adequate strength and resistance to corrosion. In thermal reactors, uranium oxide pellets are held and supported by metal tubes, called the cladding. The cladding is composed of zirconium, in the form of an alloy called Zircaloy. Some early reactors used aluminum fast reactors use stainless steel. Additional hardware is required to hold the bundles of fuel rods within a fuel assembly and to support the assembhes that are inserted and removed from the reactor core. Stainless steel is commonly used for such hardware. If the reactor is operated at high temperature and pressure, a thick-walled steel reactor vessel is needed. 

Uranium oxide [1344-57-6] from mills is converted into uranium hexafluoride [7783-81-5] FJF, for use in gaseous diffusion isotope separation plants (see Diffusion separation methods). The wastes from these operations are only slightly radioactive. Both uranium-235 and uranium-238 have long half-Hves, 7.08 x 10 and 4.46 x 10 yr, respectively. Uranium enriched to around 3 wt % is shipped to a reactor fuel fabrication plant (see Nuclear REACTORS, NUCLEAR FUEL reserves). There conversion to uranium dioxide is foUowed by peUet formation, sintering, and placement in tubes to form fuel rods. The rods are put in bundles to form fuel assembHes. Despite active recycling (qv), some low activity wastes are produced. 

Preparation of Uranium Metal. Uranium is a highly electropositive element, and extremely difficult to reduce. As such, elemental uranium caimot be prepared by reduction with hydrogen. Instead, uranium metal must be prepared using a number of rather forcing conditions. Uranium metal can be prepared by reduction of uranium oxides (UO2 [1344-59-8] or UO [1344-58-7] with strongly electropositive elements (Ca, Mg, Na), reduction of uranium halides (UCl [10025-93-1], UCl [10026-10-5] UF [10049-14-6] with electropositive metals (Li, Na, Mg, Ca, Ba), electro deposition from molten... 

Zirconium is used as a containment material for the uranium oxide fuel pellets in nuclear power reactors (see Nuclearreactors). Zirconium is particularly usehil for this appHcation because of its ready availabiUty, good ductiUty, resistance to radiation damage, low thermal-neutron absorption cross section 18 x 10 ° ra (0.18 bams), and excellent corrosion resistance in pressurized hot water up to 350°C. Zirconium is used as an alloy strengthening agent in aluminum and magnesium, and as the burning component in flash bulbs. It is employed as a corrosion-resistant metal in the chemical process industry, and as pressure-vessel material of constmction in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codes. 

Baddeleyite, a naturally occurring zirconium oxide, has been found in the Poco de Caldas region of the states of Sao Paulo and Minas Geraes in Brazil, the Kola Peninsula of the former USSR, and the northeastern Transvaal of the Repubflc of South Africa. BraziUan baddeleyite occurs frequently with zircon, and ore shipments are reported to contain 65—85% zirconium oxide, 12—18% siUca, and 0.5% uranium oxide. Veryhttle of this ore is exported now because all radioactive minerals are under close control of the BraziUan government. 

Hafnium-free zirconium alloys containing tin or niobium are used for tubing to hold uranium oxide fuel pellets inside water-cooled nuclear reactors. Zirconium —niobium alloys are used for pressure tubes and stmctural components in Canadian, the former USSR, and Germany reactor designs. 

Cerous bromide [14457-87-5] CeBr, and praseodymium bromide [13536-53-3] PrBr, are claimed to be suitable for a molten salt bath used for the reduction of uranium oxide by magnesium (16). PrBr is claimed to be alight filter in a cathode ray tube (17). 

Action of chlorine on uranium oxide to recover volatile uranium chloride Removal of iron oxide impurity from titanium oxide by volatilization hy action of chlorine... 

CP-1 was assembled in an approximately spherical shape with the purest graphite in the center. About 6 tons of luanium metal fuel was used, in addition to approximately 40.5 tons of uranium oxide fuel. The lowest point of the reactor rested on the floor and the periphery was supported on a wooden structure. The whole pile was surrounded by a tent of mbberized balloon fabric so that neutron absorbing air could be evacuated. About 75 layers of 10.48-cm (4.125-in.) graphite bricks would have been required to complete the 790-cm diameter sphere. However, criticality was achieved at layer 56 without the need to evacuate the air, and assembly was discontinued at layer 57. The core then had an ellipsoidal cross section, with a polar radius of 209 cm and an equatorial radius of309 cm [20]. CP-1 was operated at low power (0.5 W) for several days. Fortuitously, it was found that the nuclear chain reaction could be controlled with cadmium strips which were inserted into the reactor to absorb neutrons and hence reduce the value of k to considerably less than 1. The pile was then disassembled and rebuilt at what is now the site of Argonne National Laboratory, U.S.A, with a concrete biological shield. Designated CP-2, the pile eventually reached a power level of 100 kW [22]. 

The large physical size of the later Magnox stations, such as Wylfa, led to the development of the more compact advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) design [31] that could utilize the standard turbine generator units available in the UK, Stainless-steel clad, enriched uranium oxide fuel can tolerate higher temperatures... 

The HFBR core uses fully-enriched (93%) uranium oxide-aluminum cermet curved plates dad m aluminum. The core height is 0.58 m and the diameter is 0.48 m or a volume of 103.7 Itr. The U-235 weighs 9.83 kg supported by a grid plate on the vessel bottom. The coolant flow u downward. Iience. How reversal is necessary for natural circulation. It operating temperature and pressure are 60 ( and 195 psi. There are 8 main and 8 auxiliary control rod blades made of europium oxide (Lii A)o and dysprosium oxide (DyjO,), clad in stainless steel that operate in the reflector region. The scram system is the winch-clutch release type to drop the blades into the reflector region. Actuation of scram causes a setback for the auxiliary control rods which are driven upward by drive motors,... 

Carbide-based cermets have particles of carbides of tungsten, chromium, and titanium. Tungsten carbide in a cobalt matrix is used in machine parts requiring very high hardness such as wire-drawing dies, valves, etc. Chromium carbide in a cobalt matrix has high corrosion and abrasion resistance it also has a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of steel, so is well-suited for use in valves. Titanium carbide in either a nickel or a cobalt matrix is often used in high-temperature applications such as turbine parts. Cermets are also used as nuclear reactor fuel elements and control rods. Fuel elements can be uranium oxide particles in stainless steel ceramic, whereas boron carbide in stainless steel is used for control rods. 

Urano-hydroxyd, n. uranous hydroxide, ura-nium(IV) hydroxide, -reihe, /. uranous series, -salz, n. uranous salt, -uranat, n. uranous uranate, uranium(IV,VI) oxide, UaOa. -verbindung, /. uranous compound, Uran-oxyd, n. uranium oxide, specif, uranic oxide, uranium(VI) oxide, UOa. -ozydhydrat, n. uranium hydroxide, -oxydoxydul, n. = Uranoxyduloxyd. -oxydrot, n. uranium oxide red- -oxydul, n. uranous oxide, ura-nium(IV) oxide, UO2. -oxyduloxyd, n. uranoso-uranic oxide, uranium (I V,VT) oxide, UaOa. -oxydulsalz, n. uranous salt, uranium-(IV) salt, -pechblende, /., -pecherz, n. pitchblende, -phosphat, n, uranium phosphate. -rot, n. uranium red. -salz, n. uranium salt. 

Large quantities of uranium oxide are required for nuclear reactor fuel. The uranium ore must be carefully purified and processed to desired shapes, causing high energy expenditure. 

One energy source that first appeared to be highly attractive was nuclear power. The problem with nuclear power is that some costs were hidden in its initial development. Especially pernicious is the disposal of uranium oxide fuel after it has become depleted. It can be reprocessed, but at considerable expense, and the product plutonium can be used for weapons. In the United States the plan is to bui y... 

Canada, are examples. These reactors do not use ordinai y water for the moderator. Most nuclear fission reactors use ordinaiy water for a moderator which requires that the fuel he about 3 percent and about 97 percent U. Achieving this enrichment requires that the solid uranium compounds in the yellow cake be converted to gaseous uranium hexafluoride (UF,). Following enrichment, gaseous UF is converted to solid uranium oxide (UO,) for fabrication of fuel elements for a nuclear reactor. 

For many years the corrosion of uranium has been of major interest in atomic energy programmes. The environments of importance are mainly those which could come into contact with the metal at high temperatures during the malfunction of reactors, viz. water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, air and steam. In all instances the corrosion is favoured by large free energy and heat terms for the formation of uranium oxides. The major use of the metal in reactors cooled by carbon dioxide has resulted in considerable emphasis on the behaviour in this gas and to a lesser extent in carbon monoxide and air. 

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