THE EXTRACTION OF PLUTONIUM FROM NEUTRON-IRRADIATED URANIUM BY URANIUM TRICHLORIDE AND BY MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE

Abstract

The extraction of plutonium from neutron-irradiated uranium by uranium trichloride and by magnesium chloride has been examined in the temperature range 1150° to 1250 °C. The results of the uranium trichloride experiments have been used to evaluate the standard free-energy change of the equilibrium reaction [Formula: see text] These free-energy values have been used to predict the plutonium extraction in the magnesium chloride experiments on the assumption that the uranium trichloride, continuously formed from the non-equilibrium reaction [Formula: see text] rapidly established the above equilibrium with the plutonium in the uranium. Agreement between predicted and experimental results supports this assumption.A preliminary study of the kinetics of the MgCl2–U reaction showed that the initial rate of reaction is controlled by the distillation of magnesium metal from the reaction zone.