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Plutonium tetrafluoride

Plutonium tetrafluoride

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Plutonium(IV) fluoride is a chemical compound with the formula PuF4. This salt is generally a brown solid but can appear a variety of colors depending on the grain size, purity, moisture content, lighting, and presence of contaminants. Its primary use in the United States has been as an intermediary product in the production of plutonium metal for nuclear weapons usage.

Formation

Plutonium(IV) fluoride is produced in the reaction between plutonium dioxide (PuO2) or plutonium(III) fluoride (PuF3) with hydrofluoric acid (HF) in a stream of oxygen (O2) at 450 to 600 °C. The main purpose of the oxygen stream is to avoid reduction of the product by hydrogen gas, small amounts of which are often found in HF.

:PuO2 + O2 + 4 HF → PuF4 + O2 + 2 H2O :4 PuF3 + O2 + 4 HF → 4 PuF4 + 2 H2O

Laser irradiation of plutonium hexafluoride (PuF6) at wavelengths under 520 nm causes it to decompose into plutonium pentafluoride (PuF5) and fluorine; if this is continued, plutonium(IV) fluoride is obtained.

Properties

In terms of its structure, solid plutonium(IV) fluoride features 8-coordinate Pu centers interconnected by doubly bridging fluoride ligands.

Reaction of plutonium tetrafluoride with barium, calcium, or lithium at 1200 °C gives Pu metal:

:PuF4 + 2 Ba → 2 BaF2 + Pu :PuF4 + 2 Ca → 2 CaF2 + Pu :PuF4 + 4 Li → 4 LiF + Pu

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References

References

  1. Pfeiffer, Martin. (March 3, 2019). "FOI 2019-00371.Loaded powder pan at RMC line".
  2. United States Department of Energy. (1997). "Linking Legacies: Connecting the Cold War Nuclear Weapons Production Processes to Their Environmental Consequences". United States Department of Energy.
  3. ''[[Gmelins Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie]]'', System Nr. 71, Transurane, Teil C, pp. 104–107.
  4. "Photochemical preparation of plutonium pentafluoride".
  5. {{Greenwood&Earnshaw2nd
  6. (1983-05-19). "Plutonium Chemistry". AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY.
  7. (1983-05-19). "Plutonium Chemistry". AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY.
  8. Pfeiffer, Martin. (March 3, 2019). "PuF4 Pics ORO 2019 00475-FN Final Response 20190312_Page_07_Image_0001".
Wikipedia Source

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plutonium(iv)-compounds fluorides metal-halides nuclear-materials actinide-halides
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