An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the products of the interaction of gaseous IrF6 with fine UO2F2

• Main Authors: Prusakov Vladimir N., Teterin Yury A., Trotsenko Nikolai M., Maslakov Konstantin I., Teterin Anton Yu., Ivanov Kirill E., Bochagin Filipp S., Utrobin Dmitry V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: VINCA Institute of Nuclear Sciences 2007-01-01
• Series: Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection
• Subjects: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; uranyl fluorite; iridium hexafluoride; technology of isolation of actinides from gas mixtures
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1451-3994/2007/1451-39940701003P.pdf

Nuclear fuel reprocessing by fluorination, a dry method of regeneration of spent nuclear fuel, uses UO2F2 for the separation of plutonium from gaseous mixtures. Since plutonium requires special treatment, IrF6 was used as a thermodynamic model of PuF6. The model reaction of the interaction of gaseous IrF6 with fine UO2F2 in the sorption column revealed a change of color of the sorption column contents from pale-yellow to gray and black, indicating the formation of products of such an interaction. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study showed that the interaction of gaseous IrF6 with fine UO2F2 at 125 °C results in the formation of stable iridium compounds where the iridium oxidation state is close to Ir3+. The dependence of the elemental compositions of the layers in the sorption column on the penetration depth of IrF6 was established.