Uranium Trioxide - Reactivity

Reactivity

Uranium trioxide reacts at 400 °C with freon-12 to form chlorine, phosgene, carbon dioxide and uranium tetrafluoride. The freon-12 can be replaced with freon-11 which forms carbon tetrachloride instead of carbon dioxide. This is a case of a hard perhalogenated freon which is normally considered to be inert being converted chemically at a moderate temperature.

2 CF₂Cl₂ + UO₃ → UF₄ + CO₂ + COCl₂ + Cl₂

4 CFCl₃ + UO₃ → UF₄ + 3 COCl₂ + CCl₄ + Cl₂

Uranium trioxide can be dissolved in a mixture of tributyl phosphate and thenoyltrifluoroacetone in supercritical carbon dioxide, ultrasound was employed during the dissolution.