Infrared photochemistry of a volatile uranium compound with 10-μ absorption

For the first, uranium 235/uranium 238 have been separated using a 10-μ irradiation of a uranium containing metal-organic molecule. U(OCH3)6 was irradiated with a TEA laser. The product was analyzed mass spectrometrically using an instrument interfaced to a data system for signal averaging and isotope analysis. Results show that irradiation with the P(38) laser line, which is slightly to the red of the 931 cm-1 transition, demonstrates an enrichment of the sample in 235U. Use of enriched 235U shows similar enrichment factors as an increased absolute enrichment, as is expected for isotopically specific chemistry. The average enrichment factor is 1.023. For comparison with these results, a single pass through a typical gaseous diffusion cell results in an enrichment factor of 1.002. This rather simple laser induced isotope separation experiment has resulted in an average enrichment factor which is 10 x greater than is that for gaseous diffusion. 1 table