A CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF THE REDUCTION OF UF$sub 4$ TO URANIUM METAL

Reduction of small charges of uranium tetrafluoride with magnesium proved to be successful. By hand-tamping of UF/sub 4/-- Mg blend, tap densities ranglng between3.1 and 3.4 g/cc were obtained. The reduction yields for these densities ranged from 72.79 to 93.71%. In the case of machinecompacted UF4-- Mg blend having tap densities from 3.58 to 3.68 g/cc, reduction yields were higher, ranging between 91.45 and 97.2%. Machine-compacted blends gave much more uniform temperature distribution curves during the preheating period, as a result of higher tap densities. The best yields were obtained by firing a machine- compacted blend containing 5% Mg excess at a furnace temperature of 650 deg C, giving an average crude metal yield of 96.3%. However, the high carbon content of 174 ppm in the crude uranium biscuits obtained by compacts reduction, as a result of hydrocarbon binder presence, appeared to be a disadvantage. Attempts were also made to demonstrate the initiation of the reduction reaction at temperatures lower than 500 deg C by taking x-ray-diffraction patterns of the samples of the UF4-- Mg charges heated up to various temperatures. (auth