| Nuclear power is poised to experience a | | | | ammonium-hydroxide, hydrogen, hydrofluoric acid |
| resurgence, both in terms its widespread use and | | | | and fluorine. |
| in positive public perception. Building concerns | | | | 3. The resulting UF6 gas is then passed through |
| about the effects of fossil fuels on the | | | | an enrichment process at an enrichment facility. In |
| environment, in addition to other factors, are | | | | the- enrichment process, the U235 atoms present |
| making the nuclear power option seem | | | | in the UF6 gas are enriched from their |
| increasingly viable. | | | | naturally-occurring level of 0.7% of the uranium |
| Before uranium can be used in nuclear power | | | | mass to 3-5%. |
| plants, it must first be enriched. During that | | | | 4. The enriched UF6 is then converted into |
| process, however, only 10% of the natural | | | | uranium oxide and fabricated into nuclear fuel. |
| uranium entering the enrichment process is | | | | 5. However, during the enrichment process |
| useable. The remaining 90% is a by-product of | | | | approximately 90% of the UF6 emerges as |
| the enrichment process and is referred to as | | | | depleted UF6 tails (as mentioned above), which |
| "depleted" uranium or "tails." These depleted tails | | | | contain greatly-reduced levels of U235. |
| are in a chemically reactive form (UF6) and | | | | The depleted UF6 tails have historically been |
| cannot be disposed - without chemical treatment. | | | | stored in large (typically 14-ton) steel cylinders. In |
| They must either be stored perpetually in | | | | fact, in the United States there is already over 1.6 |
| enormous steel drums - or it must be | | | | billion pounds of stored UF6 tails in existence. And |
| de-converted into non-reactive (or less-reactive) | | | | notably, the estimated generation of depleted UF6 |
| solids for safe disposal in landfills. | | | | outside the U.S. exceeds 250 million pounds per |
| Historically, there has been no economic incentive | | | | year. |
| for de-converting the depleted UF6 tails, and all of | | | | Several companies have announced that they are |
| the depleted UF6 that has been created on U.S. | | | | evaluating, planning, or building, new uranium |
| soil has been simply stored on an ongoing basis | | | | enrichment facilities in the U.S. When these |
| since the early 1950's. However, there is currently | | | | facilities are completed, at their initial stated |
| a shift taking place from foreign-based enrichment | | | | capacity, they will produce in excess of |
| to domestic U.S. enrichment. This shift will cause a | | | | approximately 80 million pounds per year of |
| massive buildup of these depleted tails at the | | | | depleted UF6. The proper management and |
| commercial enrichment sites. | | | | storage of these domestically-produced depleted |
| Fortunately, a new type of de-conversion process | | | | UF6 tails will become an -important issue |
| called the Fluorine Extraction Process (FEP) | | | | confronting the nuclear industry. |
| extracts high-purity fluoride compounds from | | | | Fortunately, a newly-patented de-conversion |
| depleted uranium during the de-conversion | | | | process, called the Fluorine Extraction Process |
| process, allowing new and useful products to be | | | | (FEP), will be able to process these uranium tails |
| created as a result. This new process helps to | | | | into a form more conducive to long-term storage. |
| create an economic incentive for the | | | | At the same time, the process will be able to |
| de-conversion of the tails. | | | | extract the fluoride in the form of important |
| The Fuel Cycle and Depleted Uranium | | | | commercial products. This will be done in such an |
| To understand the role of de-conversion and how | | | | efficient manner that it will save the emission of |
| the FEP can accomplish it more efficiently than | | | | millions of pounds of CO2 emissions as compared |
| with traditional de-conversion processes, a short | | | | to production of those fluoride products by |
| overview of the nuclear fuel cycle is in order: | | | | conventional means. |
| 1. A form of uranium, enriched in the U235 | | | | FEP can be used to produce a variety of fluoride |
| isotope, is used as fuel in nuclear reactors. In | | | | gases, including boron trifluoride (BF3), germanium |
| order to enrich this uranium for use as nuclear | | | | tetrafluoride (GeF4), silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4), and |
| fuel, the uranium that is mined from the earth | | | | possibly several others. These specialty gases are |
| must be converted into - uranium oxide or "yellow | | | | in ever-increasing demand for ion-implantation, |
| cake." | | | | etchants, and chemical vapor deposition processes |
| 2. The yellow cake is then converted to UF6 gas | | | | for microelectronics components and solar energy |
| through a multi-step chemical process involving | | | | applications and organic complexes for the |
| chemicals such as nitric acid, | | | | petroleum industry. |