Estimation of the effect of noncondensable gases on the process of hydrogen fluoride desublimation

In industrial separation processes, a three-stage scheme of the fractional distillation of the gas mixture is applied. The basic components of the mixture for fractional distillation are as follows: uranium hexafluoride (HF), hydrogen fluoride (HF), and non-condensable gases. HF is the main impurity to be removed from the gas mixture. To desublimate HF, special settling tanks are used. As a coolant medium, liquid nitrogen is taken for cooling the settling tanks down to the temperature of 77 K. Taking cold air as a cooler allows one to reduce expenses and eliminate the harmful and dangerous factors of the production. The residual concentration of HF vapors is higher when cooling with air rather than with liquid nitrogen. An experimental work was performed by simulating the technological process at the temperature of 136 K for determining the value of HF slips in available settling tanks. This work was conducted on a modernized experimental facility. The experiments predetermine an application of a new method of cooling the settling tanks.

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