Monday, January 26, 2015

Was Flouride a by-product of the Manhattan Project?

 I love this question which I found this morning in our question box. So much in fact that I just had to share it with a Lab chemist I know. (Because I had no idea.) I have copied his response in full here. I recommend both of the links. Thank you for providing me with this opportunity to learn!

"I’m guessing that they are referring to the de-conversion of uranium hexafluoride to form uranium metal.  A byproduct of the de-conversion process would be fluorine – typically as a fluoride.

Here is a NRC web page providing some information on uranium de-conversion:

http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/ur-deconversion.html

Also web page for the company that is building a facility in southern New Mexico for uranium de-conversion:

http://www.intisoid.com/index.php/fep/more-information/1300-2/

For example the above facility apparently plans to produce the SiF4 (silicon hexafluoride) as the byproduct instead of a fluoride salt.  As mentioned SiF4 is typically used to make high purity silicon for electronic applications.

With regard to Manhattan Project I’m not sure where the de-conversion process took place and what form, e.g. fluoride salt, they produced at the time."