The large-scale recovery of uranium from materials which also contained great quantities of fluorides did not give a product which had a low enough fluoride content to be treated satisfactorily by the other extraction process. The objective of the investigations carried out in this laboratory was a method of reducing the amount of fluoride which accompanied the uranium. The material from which the uranium was recovered in the industrial process was a slag containing (in addition to uranium) magnesium fluoride, calcium and dolomitic lines, crucible dross, and other waste products from the reaction of magnesium metal and uranium hexafluoride. Most of the fluoride was removed from this mixture by heating the roasted and ground slag with sulfuric acid. The residue was mixed with water and much of the caclium sulfate and fluoride, magnesium fluoride, and hydrated ferric oxide and alumina was precipitated by reducing the acidity. After filtering off the precipitate, ammonium sulfate was added to the solution and uranium peroxide (UO{sub 4} {center_dot} 2H{sub 2}O) was precipitated by addition of hydrogen peroxide. The pH of the solution was maintained between 3.0 and 3.5 during the precipitation by addition of sodium hydroxide. The uranium peroxide, even after washing, contained between …

Uranium hexafluoride has the distinction of being the only stable gaseous compound of uranium known up to the present moment. Because of this property it is the only compound that can be used for processes of isotope separation, such as diffusion, thermal diffusion, centrifuge separation, distillation, and other of a similar nature. Here is a short description of the properties of UF{sub 6} and is intended for a reader interested only casually in this compound. UF{sub 6} is a very reactive compound and a very strong fluorinating agent. It is immediately hydrolized by water. In fluorinating reactions it is reduced to the green highly stable UF{sub 4}. It reacts instantaneously with hydrogen at room temperature. It fluorinates many metals; sodium and mercury are attacked in the cold, lead, zinc, tin and iron on heating; platinum and gold react only above 400 C. With organic compounds like alcohol, ether, benzene or toluene, immediate fluorination takes place with formation of HF and carbon or carbonaceous material. The compound forms colorless, very volatile, beautiful transparent crystals of high refractive index. Melting point = 69.5{sup o}; boiling point at 760 mm = 56.2{sup o}; D20{sup o} = 4.68. The crystals melt water pressure to …

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Brief discussions of experimental methods, kinetics, and the catalysts used in the production of D{sub 2}O are presented (J.E.D.)