Fluoride Interference Films on Uranium Dioxide. II. Kinetics of the Hydrofluorination Reaction

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In the temperature interval 200°—300°C optically isotropic uniformly colored interference films are formed on the flat, polished surfaces of fused uranium dioxide by reaction with anhydrous gaseous hydrogen fluoride. The kinetics were determined spectrophotometrically at eight temperatures for film thicknesses up to ¼ micron. In the pressure interval 20–53 cm Hg, the rate of film growth is diffusion controlled with the thickness proportional to the square root of both pressure of HF(g) and time. The proportionality constant is β=β0exp(−Q/RT)Å/(sec×cm Hg)12 in which β0=2.59×103 and Q=6930 cal/mole with a 90% confidence interval of ±140 cal/mole. From metallographic examinations it was concluded that the uranium tetrafluoride product is deposited at the film—UO2(s) interface.

This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit: