The present invention relates to single crystalline RbUO.sub.3, hydrothermal growth processes of making such single crystals and methods of using such single crystals. In particular, Applicants disclose single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 in the Pm-3m space group. Unlike other powdered RbUO.sub.3, Applicants' single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 has a sufficient crystal size to be characterized and used in the fields of neutron detection, radiation-hardened electronics, nuclear forensics, nuclear engineering photovoltaics, lasers, light-emitting diodes, photoelectrolysis and magnetic applications.

The present invention relates to single crystalline RbUO.sub.3, hydrothermal growth processes of making such single crystals and methods of using such single crystals. In particular, Applicants disclose single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 in the Pm-3m space group. Unlike other powdered RbUO.sub.3, Applicants' single crystalline RbUO.sub.3 has a sufficient crystal size to be characterized and used in the fields of neutron detection, radiation-hardened electronics, nuclear forensics, nuclear engineering photovoltaics, lasers, light-emitting diodes, photoelectrolysis and magnetic applications.

Described herein are methods for recovering uranium tetrafluoride (UF.sub.4) from uranium hexafluoride (UF.sub.6) by directly dissolving UF.sub.6 in ionic liquids and recovering UF.sub.4, which can be processed to obtain UO.sub.2 (s) or uranium metal.

The invention relates to sulfonated aminomethylated chelate resins, to a method for producing same, to the use thereof for obtaining and purifying metals, in particular rare earth metals, from aqueous solutions and organic liquids, and for producing highly pure silicon.

A nuclear fuel powder production plant comprises a conversion installation (2) for the conversion of uranium hexafluoride (UF.sub.6) into uranium dioxide (UO.sub.2) having a hydrolysis reactor (4) for the conversion of UF.sub.6 into uranium oxyfluoride powder (UO.sub.2F.sub.2) and a pyrohydrolysis furnace (6) for converting the UO.sub.2F.sub.2 powder into UO.sub.2 powder. The nuclear fuel powder production plant also includes a packaging unit (20) for the UO.sub.2 powder comprising a filling station (22) having a chamber (26) for receiving a container (24) to be filled, a filling duct (28) supplied from the furnace (6) and a suction system (32) comprising a suction ring (34) disposed at the outlet (30) of the filling duct (28) for sucking an annular air flow (A) around a stream (P) of UO.sub.2 powder falling from the outlet (30) from the filling duct (28) into the container (24).

The present invention relates to single crystalline NaUO.sub.3, hydrothermal growth processes of making such single crystals and methods of using such single crystals. In particular, Applicants disclose single crystalline NaUO.sub.3 in the R32 space group. Unlike other powdered NaUO.sub.3, Applicants' single crystalline NaUO.sub.3 has a sufficient crystal size to be characterized and used in the fields of laser light, infrared countermeasures, nuclear fuel material, nuclear forensics and magnetic applications.

A nuclear fuel powder production plant comprises a conversion installation (2) for the conversion of uranium hexafluoride (UF.sub.6) into uranium dioxide (UO.sub.2) having a hydrolysis reactor (4) for the conversion of UF.sub.6 into uranium oxyfluoride powder (UO.sub.2F2) and a pyrohydrolysis furnace (6) for converting the UO.sub.2F2 powder into UO.sub.2 powder. The nuclear fuel powder production plant also includes a packaging unit (20) for the UO.sub.2 powder comprising a filling station (22) having a chamber (26) for receiving a container (24) to be filled, a filling duct (28) supplied from the furnace (6) and a suction system (32) comprising a suction ring (34) disposed at the outlet (30) of the filling duct (28) for sucking an annular air flow (A) around a stream (P) of UO.sub.2 powder falling from the outlet (30) from the filling duct (28) into the container (24).

A novel semi-batch process for deconverting high assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) from its uranium hexafluoride state to uranium dioxide and other chemical states useful as feeds for nuclear fuel in a nuclear reactor is provided. The semi-batch process enables the use of equipment that is small enough, and production rates that are low enough, to meet nuclear criticality safety restraints for HALEU, while enabling the safe, dependable, and economical production of HALEU feed for nuclear fuel at a nominal capacity of up to about 20 MTU (metric tons of uranium metal) per year per deconversion reactor.

A device including an LED light source optically coupled to a phosphor selected from [Y,Gd,Tb,La,Sm,Pr,Lu].sub.3[Al,Ga].sub.5−aO.sub.12−3/2a:Ce.sup.3+ (wherein 0<a<0.5), beta-SiAlON:Eu.sup.2+, [Sr,Ca,Ba][Al,Ga,In].sub.2S.sub.4:Eu.sup.2+, alpha-SiAlON doped with Eu.sup.2+ and/or Ce.sup.3+, Ca.sub.1−h−rCe.sub.hEu.sub.rAl.sub.1−h[Mg,Zn].sub.hSiN.sub.3, (where 0<h<0.2, 0<r<0.2), Sr(LiAl.sub.3N.sub.4):Eu.sup.2+, [Ca,Sr]S:Eu.sup.2+ or Ce.sup.3+, [Ba,Sr,Ca].sub.bSi.sub.gN.sub.m:Eu.sup.2+ (wherein 2b+4g=3m), quantum dot materials, and combinations thereof; and a green-emitting U.sup.6+-doped phosphor having a composition selected from the group consisting of U.sup.6+-doped phosphate-vanadate phosphors, U.sup.6+-doped halide phosphors, U.sup.6+-doped oxyhalide phosphors, U.sup.6+-doped silicate-germanate phosphors, U.sup.6+-doped alkali earth oxide phosphors, and combinations thereof, is presented.

The invention discloses use of a uranium-containing compound as a scintillator. The uranium-containing compound is a uranium-containing organic-inorganic hybrid compound or a uranium-containing inorganic compound. The uranium-containing organic-inorganic hybrid compound is a uranium-containing organic carboxylate or a uranium-containing organophosphate. The uranium-containing inorganic compound is a uranium-containing non-metallate, a uranium-containing metal salt, or a uranium-containing halide. The invention discloses the uranium-containing organic-inorganic compound or the uranium-containing inorganic compound having intrinsic scintillating ability, and provides a new concept and method for the development of (organic-inorganic, inorganic) scintillators of various chemical compositions and configurations with the uranium element.