We're trying to find a source of contamination in our lab, and someone said that teflon is prohibited in the Uranium industry since it absorbs Uranium. Is this true?
I don't really know, but I do where the idea originated.
"Like dissolves like" is a general rule in chemistry. This is based on polarity. Non-polar compounds like oil dissolve other non-polar compounds like wax. The polarity is based on the fact wax and oil are carbon chains covered in non-polar hydrogen atoms.
Teflon is a polymer of fluoroethylene. Instead of hydrogen, the carbon chain is covered in fluorine atoms. Uranium is a metal and metals don't dissolve in non-polar substances like either oil or teflon. However, there is one step in Uranium enrichment which uses fluorine. Uranium is turned into a very unusual gas, Uranium hexafluoride. The Uranium is now covered in fluorine atoms. Uranium hexafluoride may very well be soluable in teflon. This teflon soluability might even be used in the enrichment process. The uranium hexafluoride gas is spun in a centrifuge. The heavier U238 leaves the centrifuge and the material in the center is richer in the lighter U235 isotope. Perhaps teflon plates lining the centrifuge are used to trap the U238 isotope.
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I don't really know, but I do where the idea originated.
"Like dissolves like" is a general rule in chemistry. This is based on polarity. Non-polar compounds like oil dissolve other non-polar compounds like wax. The polarity is based on the fact wax and oil are carbon chains covered in non-polar hydrogen atoms.
Teflon is a polymer of fluoroethylene. Instead of hydrogen, the carbon chain is covered in fluorine atoms. Uranium is a metal and metals don't dissolve in non-polar substances like either oil or teflon. However, there is one step in Uranium enrichment which uses fluorine. Uranium is turned into a very unusual gas, Uranium hexafluoride. The Uranium is now covered in fluorine atoms. Uranium hexafluoride may very well be soluable in teflon. This teflon soluability might even be used in the enrichment process. The uranium hexafluoride gas is spun in a centrifuge. The heavier U238 leaves the centrifuge and the material in the center is richer in the lighter U235 isotope. Perhaps teflon plates lining the centrifuge are used to trap the U238 isotope.