Re: UF6

[Ccja@aol.com]

U234 is about as close to a pure alpha emitter as most nuclides come, there's
a 53 keV gamma at 0.1% and a 13 keV xray at 11%. I'd think that in the first
rounds of gaseous diffusion it'd go with the U235, being even lighter. The
chemistry of uranium should be the same no matter the isotope, shouldn't it?
As to whether it's necessary to separate physically it from the U235, that'd
be very difficult, I'd think. It's a laborious enough process just trying to
enrich natural U. The specific activtiy is so much higher than that of U235
(three orders of magnitude shorter 1/2life) that it would seem to be unlikely
that it'd poison whatever nuclear reaction was of interest. Anyway, if it
were separate, why not just neutralize/stabilize it chemically/physically and
dispose of it as NORM? Disposal was the original problem presented, I think.
This is all speculation on my part. No doubt some hugely knowledgeable person
will come online tomorrow and politely inform me that I'm all wet.