Appeal No. 1998-2012
Application 08/657,556
product from uranium hexafluoride. Claim 1 is illustrative
and reads as follows:
1. A method for recovering anhydrous hydrogen fluoride
and a uranium oxide product from uranium hexafluoride
comprising the steps of:
a) reacting said uranium hexafluoride in a first
reactor by contact with a liquid solution comprised of
hydrogen fluoride and water to produce an uranyl fluoride
hydrate intermediate;
b) reacting said uranyl fluoride hydrate intermediate
with a gaseous water feed in a second reactor to produce said
uranium oxide products and a mixture comprised of water,
hydrogen fluoride and oxygen;
c) boiling said liquid solution comprised of hydrogen
fluoride and water from said first reactor to form a vapor and
combining said vapor with said mixture of comprised of water,
hydrogen fluoride and oxygen from said second reactor to form
a combination;
d) condensing said combination to form a mixed gas and
liquid state, said gas state being comprised of essentially
oxygen and said liquid state being comprised of hydrogen
fluoride and water; and
e) distilling said mixed gas and liquid state in a
separation unit to produce said anhydrous hydrogen fluoride as
a distillate and a liquid stream of hydrogen fluoride and
water azeotrope.
The references relied upon by the examiner are:
Grant 3,333,930 Aug. 1, 1967
-2-
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007