Effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non-adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristics
Uranium ingot is produced by metallothermic reduction of uranium tetrafluoride using magnesium or calcium as reductant. Presence of oxygen containing compounds viz. uranyl fluoride and uranium oxide in the starting uranium fluoride has a significant effect on the firing time, final temperature of th...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2021-06-01
|
| Series: | Nuclear Engineering and Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S173857332030989X |
| _version_ | 1819046116498341888 |
|---|---|
| author | Sonal Gupta Raj Kumar Santosh K. Satpati Manharan L. Sahu |
| author_facet | Sonal Gupta Raj Kumar Santosh K. Satpati Manharan L. Sahu |
| author_sort | Sonal Gupta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Uranium ingot is produced by metallothermic reduction of uranium tetrafluoride using magnesium or calcium as reductant. Presence of oxygen containing compounds viz. uranyl fluoride and uranium oxide in the starting uranium fluoride has a significant effect on the firing time, final temperature of the charge, slag-metal separation and hence the metal recovery. As reported in the literature, the maximum tolerable limit for uranyl fluoride in the UF4 is 2.5 wt% and limit for uranium oxide content is in the range 2–3 wt%. No theoretical or experimental basis is available till date for these limits. Analyses have been carried out in this study to understand the effect of UO2F2 concentration in the starting fluoride on the final temperature of the products and thus the reduction characteristics. UF4 having uranyl fluoride concentration, less than as well as more than 2.5 wt%, have been investigated. Thermodynamic calculations have been carried out to arrive at a general expression for the final temperature attained by the products during calciothermic reduction of UF4. Finally, an upper limit for the oxygen containing impurities has been estimated using the CaO–CaF2 phase diagram. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:39:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-464d458d07004d499879952311db824b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1738-5733 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:39:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nuclear Engineering and Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-464d458d07004d499879952311db824b2022-12-21T19:06:57ZengElsevierNuclear Engineering and Technology1738-57332021-06-0153619311938Effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non-adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristicsSonal Gupta0Raj Kumar1Santosh K. Satpati2Manharan L. Sahu3Corresponding author. Uranium Extraction Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India.; Uranium Extraction Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, IndiaUranium Extraction Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, IndiaUranium Extraction Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, IndiaUranium Extraction Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, IndiaUranium ingot is produced by metallothermic reduction of uranium tetrafluoride using magnesium or calcium as reductant. Presence of oxygen containing compounds viz. uranyl fluoride and uranium oxide in the starting uranium fluoride has a significant effect on the firing time, final temperature of the charge, slag-metal separation and hence the metal recovery. As reported in the literature, the maximum tolerable limit for uranyl fluoride in the UF4 is 2.5 wt% and limit for uranium oxide content is in the range 2–3 wt%. No theoretical or experimental basis is available till date for these limits. Analyses have been carried out in this study to understand the effect of UO2F2 concentration in the starting fluoride on the final temperature of the products and thus the reduction characteristics. UF4 having uranyl fluoride concentration, less than as well as more than 2.5 wt%, have been investigated. Thermodynamic calculations have been carried out to arrive at a general expression for the final temperature attained by the products during calciothermic reduction of UF4. Finally, an upper limit for the oxygen containing impurities has been estimated using the CaO–CaF2 phase diagram.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S173857332030989XCalciothermic reductionNon-adiabaticUranium tetrafluorideUranyl fluoride |
| spellingShingle | Sonal Gupta Raj Kumar Santosh K. Satpati Manharan L. Sahu Effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non-adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristics Nuclear Engineering and Technology Calciothermic reduction Non-adiabatic Uranium tetrafluoride Uranyl fluoride |
| title | Effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non-adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristics |
| title_full | Effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non-adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristics |
| title_fullStr | Effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non-adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non-adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristics |
| title_short | Effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non-adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristics |
| title_sort | effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristics |
| topic | Calciothermic reduction Non-adiabatic Uranium tetrafluoride Uranyl fluoride |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S173857332030989X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sonalgupta effectofoxygencontainingcompoundsinuraniumtetrafluorideonitsnonadiabaticcalciothermicreductioncharacteristics AT rajkumar effectofoxygencontainingcompoundsinuraniumtetrafluorideonitsnonadiabaticcalciothermicreductioncharacteristics AT santoshksatpati effectofoxygencontainingcompoundsinuraniumtetrafluorideonitsnonadiabaticcalciothermicreductioncharacteristics AT manharanlsahu effectofoxygencontainingcompoundsinuraniumtetrafluorideonitsnonadiabaticcalciothermicreductioncharacteristics |