THE PREPARATION OF PLUTONIUM(IV) AMMONIUM FLUORIDE AND ITS DECOMPOSITION TO PLUTONIUM TETRAFLUORIDE FOR SUBSEQUENT REDUCTION TO METAL

An exothermic reaction was shown to take place between low temperature plutonium dioxide and ammonium bifluoride at 50 to 250 deg C, The reaction goes essentially to completion with the formation of the pink plutonium(IV) ammonium fluoride, This compound can be decomposed at 300 deg C and the resulting plutonium tetrafluoride dehydrated at 500 deg C. Analyses showed that plutonium tetrafluoride prepared in this manner is approximately 90% converted from the dioxide. On a twenty gram scale average reduction yields of over 97% can be obtained by reaction with metallic calcium in a hermetitally sealed, stationary bomb when a calcium-iodine booster is employed. (auth