URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE CONVERSION METHOD Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear fuel technology. SUBSTANCE: water steam-mediated conversion of UF₆ into UO₂ and HF is accomplished by mixing primary gas mixture composed of uranium hexafluoride vapors and gas carrier (nitrogen and/or argon preheated to low-temperature plasma state) with secondary gas mixture composed of water steam in conversion zone, into which dispersed liquid is simultaneously injected, said liquid being aqueous solution of at least one salt of at least one element selected from U, Pu, Th, Eu, Gd, and Er. Aqueous solution further contains ammonium salt and/or urea. In addition, ammonia aqueous solution, ammonium salt and/or urea solution is likewise injected into conversion zone. Invention can be used for production of ²³⁵U isotope-enriched ceramic uranium dioxide powder containing burnable absorber, quasi-homogeneous mixture of uranium and plutonium oxides, uranium and thorium oxides for production of metal oxide fuel; to convert high-rich uranium into low-rich one; or for recovering fluorine from uranium hexafluoride refuse. EFFECT: simplified preparation of mixture of UO₂ with other metal oxides at high-temperature UF₆. conversion. 4 cl, 1 dwg, 8 ex