Plutonium(III) fluoride

Hexagonal

A = 709.3 pm c = 725.4 pm

Pu, F

Plutoniumtrifluorid

Violet crystals

Fixed

9.3 g · cm -3

1396 ° C

1957 ° C

Insoluble in water

-371 ± 3 kcal · mol -1

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Plutonium (III ) fluoride is a chemical compound consisting of the elements of plutonium and fluorine. It has the formula PuF3 and belongs to the class of fluorides.

Representation

Plutonium (III ) fluoride is sparingly soluble and is produced by the reaction of an aqueous plutonium (III ) nitrate solution with fluoride salts in acids.

Plutonium (III ) fluoride (IV) can be obtained oxide with hydrogen fluoride by reaction of plutonium (IV ) oxalate and hydrogen, plutonium (III ) oxalate or plutonium.

Properties

Plutonium (III ) fluoride forms violet crystals having a melting point of 1396 ° C. It crystallizes in the Lanthanfluoridstruktur with the lattice parameters a = 709.3 pm and c = 725.4 pm. Here, each plutonium core of nine fluorine nuclei is surrounded in a distorted triple- capped trigonal prismatic structure. It is sublimated and has a greater volatility than americium (III ) fluoride.

Use

To be able to separate plutonium for reprocessing by precipitation from solutions, a method of precipitation was developed as a plutonium (III ) fluoride to have an alternative to the previous Plutoniumperoxidmethode. A study by the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1957 reported that this method over the previous method was less effective, while a more recent study, commissioned by the U.S. Office of Scientific and Technical Information commissioned this as a more effective method represents.

Safety

Classifications according to the Hazardous Substances Ordinance are not available, although the chemical toxicity is known. Important are the based on the radioactivity hazards, unless it is for a relevant amount of substance.