DOE is responsible for managing nearly 1.5 billion pounds of uranium hexafluoride stored in carbon steel cylinders in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The cylinders are corroding and beginning to become an environmental concern in the affected states. The cost of converting these cylinders to a more stable form such as an oxide is estimated at about $2 billion. If valuable chemicals can be produced from the fluorine portion, the overall management cost to DOE and the taxpayers would be reduced. This project will develop and demonstrate technology for extracting the fluorine in the uranium hexafluoride and producing titanium tetrafluoride (TiF4) a material that can subsequently be converted to titanium metal and a fluoride product. During Phase I, the basic chemistry of the conversion process for producing titanium tetrafluoride will be established, kinetic conversion rates will be determined at laboratory scale, and the TiF4 purity level will be established. Process design data will be obtained to allow a pilot plant to be designed for demonstration during Phase II.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Successful implementation of this project will produce titanium metal, which can be sold as a powder or ingot, and a fluoride product (cryolite or HF). The titanium metal is a high-value metal product that can be used by industry in very large quantities. Also, the potential fluoride products would be used in very large quantities by industry.
