Uranyl fluoride

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Uranyl fluoride
Uranyl fluoride UO2F2.PNG
Uranyl fluoride
Names
IUPAC name
Uranium fluoride oxide
Other names
Uranium oxyfluoride
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.033.529 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
EC Number
  • 236-898-8
PubChem CID
  • InChI=1S/2FH.2O.U/h2*1H;;;/q;;;;+2/p-2
    Key: KCKICANVXIVOLK-UHFFFAOYSA-L
  • O=[U+2]=O.[F-].[F-]
Properties
UO2F2
Molar mass 308.02 g/mol
Melting point Decomposes @ 300 °C
Boiling point Sublimes
Solubility in other solventsVS
Hazards
GHS labelling:
GHS-pictogram-skull.svg GHS-pictogram-silhouette.svg GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg
Danger
H300, H330, H373, H411
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Uranyl fluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula UO2F2. It is most notable as a contaminant in the production of uranium tetrafluoride. [1]

As shown by X-ray crystallography, the uranyl (UO22+) centers are complemented by six fluoride ligands. [2]

This salt is very soluble in water as well as hygroscopic. It is formed in the hydrolysis of uranium hexafluoride (UF6):

UF6 + 2 H2O → UO2F2 + 4 HF

It can also be formed in the hydrofluorination of uranium trioxide (UO3):

UO3 + 2 HF → UO2F2 + H2O [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium hexafluoride</span> Chemical compound

Uranium hexafluoride, sometimes called hex, is an inorganic compound with the formula UF6. Uranium hexafluoride is a volatile, toxic white solid that is used in the process of enriching uranium, which produces fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.

Uranium fluoride can refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bromine pentafluoride</span> Chemical compound

Bromine pentafluoride, BrF5, is an interhalogen compound and a fluoride of bromine. It is a strong fluorinating agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranyl nitrate</span> Chemical compound

Uranyl nitrate is a water-soluble yellow uranium salt with the formula UO2(NO3)2 · n H2O. The hexa-, tri-, and dihydrates are known. The compound is mainly of interest because it is an intermediate in the preparation of nuclear fuels. In the nuclear industry, it is commonly referred to as yellow salt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triuranium octoxide</span> Chemical compound

Triuranium octoxide (U3O8) is a compound of uranium. It is present as an olive green to black, odorless solid. It is one of the more popular forms of yellowcake and is shipped between mills and refineries in this form.

The uranyl ion is an oxycation of uranium in the oxidation state +6, with the chemical formula UO2+
2
. It has a linear structure with short U–O bonds, indicative of the presence of multiple bonds between uranium and oxygen. Four or more ligands may be bound to the uranyl ion in an equatorial plane around the uranium atom. The uranyl ion forms many complexes, particularly with ligands that have oxygen donor atoms. Complexes of the uranyl ion are important in the extraction of uranium from its ores and in nuclear fuel reprocessing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium trioxide</span> Chemical compound

Uranium trioxide (UO3), also called uranyl oxide, uranium(VI) oxide, and uranic oxide, is the hexavalent oxide of uranium. The solid may be obtained by heating uranyl nitrate to 400 °C. Its most commonly encountered polymorph is amorphous UO3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium tetrafluoride</span> Chemical compound

Uranium tetrafluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula UF4. It is a green solid with an insignificant vapor pressure and low solubility in water. Uranium in its tetravalent (uranous) state is important in various technological processes. In the uranium refining industry it is known as green salt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranyl hydroxide</span> Chemical compound

Uranyl hydroxide is a hydroxide of uranium with the chemical formula UO2(OH)2 in the monomeric form and [(UO2)2(OH)4]2- in the dimeric; both forms may exist in normal aqueous media. In aerobic conditions, up to 5 hydroxides can bind to Uranyl {[(UO2)2(OH)5]3-}. Uranyl hydroxide hydrate is precipitated as a colloidal yellowcake from oxidized uranium liquors near neutral pH.

Uranyl sulfate describes a family of inorganic compounds with the formula UO2SO4(H2O)n. These salts consist of sulfate, the uranyl ion, and water. They are lemon-yellow solids. Uranyl sulfates are intermediates in some extraction methods used for uranium ores. These compounds can also take the form of an anhydrous salt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranyl peroxide</span> Chemical compound

Uranyl peroxide or uranium peroxide hydrate (UO4·nH2O) is a pale-yellow, soluble peroxide of uranium. It is found to be present at one stage of the enriched uranium fuel cycle and in yellowcake prepared via the in situ leaching and resin ion exchange system. This compound, also expressed as UO3·(H2O2)·(H2O), is very similar to uranium trioxide hydrate UO3·nH2O. The dissolution behaviour of both compounds are very sensitive to the hydration state (n can vary between 0 and 4). One main characteristic of uranium peroxide is that it consists of small needles with an average AMAD of about 1.1 μm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranate</span> Uranium oxyanion associated with a monovalent or divalent cation

A uranate is a ternary oxide involving the element uranium in one of the oxidation states 4, 5 or 6. A typical chemical formula is MxUyOz, where M represents a cation. The uranium atom in uranates(VI) has two short collinear U–O bonds and either four or six more next nearest oxygen atoms. The structures are infinite lattice structures with the uranium atoms linked by bridging oxygen atoms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium tetrachloride</span> Chemical compound

Uranium tetrachloride is an inorganic compound, a salt of uranium and chlorine, with the formula UCl4. It is a hygroscopic olive-green solid. It was used in the electromagnetic isotope separation (EMIS) process of uranium enrichment. It is one of the main starting materials for organouranium chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium pentafluoride</span> Chemical compound

Uranium pentafluoride is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula UF5. It is a pale yellow paramagnetic solid. The compound has attracted interest because it is related to uranium hexafluoride, which is widely used to produce uranium fuel. It crystallizes in two polymorphs, called α- and β-UF5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zirconium tetrafluoride</span> Chemical compound

Zirconium(IV) fluoride describes members of a family inorganic compounds with the formula ZrF4(H2O)x. All are colorless, diamagnetic solids. Anhydrous Zirconium(IV) fluoride is a component of ZBLAN fluoride glass.

Paulscherrerite, UO2(OH)2, is a newly named mineral of the schoepite subgroup of hexavalent uranium hydrate/hydroxides. It is monoclinic, but no space group has been determined because no single-crystal study has been done. Paulscherrerite occurs as a canary yellow microcrystalline powdery product with a length of ~500 nm. It forms by the weathering and ultimate pseudomorphism of uranium-lead bearing minerals such as metaschoepite. The type locality for paulscherrerite is the Number 2 Workings, Radium Ridge near Mount Painter, North Flinders Ranges, South Australia, an area where radiogenic heat has driven hydrothermal activity for millions of years. It is named for Swiss physicist Paul Scherrer, co-inventor of the Debye-Scherrer X-ray powder diffraction camera. Study of paulscherrerite and related minerals is important for understanding the mobility of uranium around mining sites, as well as designing successful strategies for the storage of nuclear weapons and the containment of nuclear waste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium hexachloride</span> Chemical compound

Uranium hexachloride is an inorganic chemical compound of uranium in the +6 oxidation state. UCl6 is a metal halide composed of uranium and chlorine. It is a multi-luminescent dark green crystalline solid with a vapor pressure between 1-3 mmHg at 373.15 K. UCl6 is stable in a vacuum, dry air, nitrogen and helium at room temperature. It is soluble in carbon tetrachloride. Compared to the other uranium halides, little is known about UCl6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neptunium(VI) fluoride</span> Chemical compound

Neptunium(VI) fluoride (NpF6) is the highest fluoride of neptunium, it is also one of seventeen known binary hexafluorides. It is a volatile orange crystalline solid. It is relatively hard to handle, being very corrosive, volatile and radioactive. Neptunium hexafluoride is stable in dry air but reacts vigorously with water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amorphous uranium(VI) oxide</span> Chemical compound

Amorphous uranium(VI) oxide(am-U2O7) is an orange diuranyl compound, most commonly obtained from the thermal decomposition of uranyl peroxide tetrahydrate at temperatures between 150 and 500 °C (300 and 930 °F). It exists at room temperature as a powder. Am-U2O7 does not comprise a regular, long-range atomic structure, as demonstrated by its characteristic diffuse scattering pattern obtained by X-ray diffraction. As a result, the molecular structure of this material is little understood, although experimental and computational attempts to elucidate a local atomic environment have yielded some success.

Depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUHF; also referred to as depleted uranium tails, depleted uranium tailings or DUF6) is a byproduct of the processing of uranium hexafluoride into enriched uranium. It is one of the chemical forms of depleted uranium (up to 73-75%), along with depleted triuranium octoxide (up to 25%) and depleted uranium metal (up to 2%). DUHF is 1.7 times less radioactive than uranium hexafluoride and natural uranium.

References

  1. Peehs, Martin; Walter, Thomas; Walter, Sabine; Zemek, Martin (2007). "Uranium, Uranium Alloys, and Uranium Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. doi:10.1002/14356007.a27_281.pub2. ISBN   978-3-527-30385-4.
  2. Zachariasen, W. H. (1948). "Crystal chemical studies of the 5f-series of elements. III. A study of the disorder in the crystal structure of anhydrous uranyl fluoride". Acta Crystallographica. 1 (6): 277–281. Bibcode:1948AcCry...1..277Z. doi: 10.1107/S0365110X48000764 .
  3. Jang, Harry; Louis-Jean, James; Poineau, Frederic (2023-06-20). "Synthesis and Morphological Control of UO2F2 Particulates". ACS Omega. 8 (24): 21996–22002. doi:10.1021/acsomega.3c01999. ISSN   2470-1343. PMC   10286299 . PMID   37360455.