CO laser-induced chemical reaction of UF6 with HCl and its application to uranium isotope separation

The rate of the chemical reaction UF6 + HCl has been studied by using 5.33 μm CO laser, resonant with 3ν3 vibrational frequency of UF6. The ν3 absorption bands of UF6 are very weak, in order to make more efficient absorption, the liquid-nitrogen-cooled CO laser with intracavity absorption cell has been used. The experimental results showed that the rate of reaction for UF6 + HCl was remarkably enhanced by irradiation of the CO laser, and it was a non-thermal one in nature. The reaction rate followed the first-order kinetics. Based on this selective laser-induced photochemical reaction and the isotope shift at 3ν3 absorption band (about 1.8 cm-1), the uranium isotope separation has been achieved with a separation factor of 1.2