Role of elemental fluorine in nuclear field

The preparation of fluorine gas by Henri Moissan by electrolysis of molten fluorides can be considered as one of the most important discoveries during the last centuries. Indeed, in addition to its use in many industrial fields (microelectronic, surface cleaning, pharmacology, medicine, …), fluorine gas is strongly involved in nuclear field for the preparation of UF6. The latter allows the natural uranium enrichment via the gaseous diffusion process. Due to the increase of the energy demand in industrialised and emergent countries, the production of UF6 and consequently of F2 should increase drastically during the next decades. The aim of this paper is to summarise the evolution of the process to produce fluorine from its discovery to the present process. Few aspects on the researches done for a better understanding of the fluorine evolution reaction are presented. The use of fluorine in the nuclear field is also discussed.

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