Investigation into stability of U3O8 fluorination in fluidized bed

The mechanism of the heterogeneous exothermic fluorination of U3O8 in boiling corundum bed has been subjected to investigation aimed at finding out the reason of spasmodic change of the main technological process indices. The investigation has been carried out by means of stepped increase of fluorine and U3O8 concentration in boiling bed up to the signs of the process instability. The fluorination instability is found to be connected with sintering the boiling bed at high concentration of reagents. The stable fluorination process is ensured at the temperature of 500 deg C, fluidization agent rate of 0.11-0.20m/s, fluorine concentrations 40-80vol.% and the product of U3O8 concentration and the specific U3O8 surface equal to the 10-80 m2/kg of the boiling bed. The process of agglomerate formation is controlled by instruments and can be averted at the initial stage by reaction zone pulse blowing with nitrogen