| Reactions of Uranium |
 Reactions with air |
| The most common forms of uranium oxide are triuranium octaoxide (U3O8) and UO2. Both oxide forms are solids that have low solubility in water and are relatively stable over a wide range of environmental
conditions. Triuranium octaoxide is (depending on conditions) the most stable compound of uranium and is the form most commonly
found in nature. Uranium dioxide is the form in which uranium is most commonly used as a nuclear reactor fuel. At ambient
temperatures, UO2 will gradually convert to U3O8. Because of their stability, uranium oxides are generally considered the preferred chemical form for storage or disposal.
|
| Reactions with halogens |
| All uranium fluorides are created using uranium tetrafluoride (UF4); UF4 itself is prepared by hydrofluorination of uranium dioxide. Reduction of UF4 with hydrogen at 1000°C produces uranium trifluoride (UF3). Under the right conditions of temperature and pressure, the reaction of solid
UF4 with gaseous uranium hexafluoride (UF6) can form the intermediate fluorides of U2F9, U4F17, and UF5.
|
| One method of preparing uranium tetrachloride (UCl4) is to directly combine chlorine with either uranium metal or uranium hydride. The reduction of UCl4 by hydrogen produces uranium trichloride (UCl3) while the higher chlorides of uranium are prepared by reaction with additional chlorine. All uranium chlorides react with water and air.
|
| Bromides and iodides of uranium are formed by direct reaction of, respectively, bromine and iodine with uranium or by adding UH3 to those element's acids. Known examples include: UBr3, UBr4, UI3, and UI4.
|
| |
U3+