The following three reactions were studied by thermochromatography in relation to the reprocessing of oxide fuels : (a) fluorination of RuF
3 by F
2, (b) fluorination of RuO
2 by F
2, (c) fluorination of RuO
2 mixed with an excess of an oxide UO
2 or Y
2O
3. The reaction products were as follows. The RuF
3-F
2 reaction yields RuF
5. Fluorination of RuO
2 by F
2 results in the production of a mixture of RuF
4-RuF
5-RuOF
4. (RuF
5 may be produced by fluorination of RuF
4 resulting from decomposition of RuOF
4 in the apparatus for thermochromatography). When dried at 150°C prior to fluorination the products of RuO
2-F
2 reaction in the presence of an excess UO
2 on Y
2O
3 are much more volatile than those obtained in the absence of these oxides. More than 60% is a mixture of RuF
5 and RuO, with a smaller amount of RuOF
4, RuF
4 and RuF
5. When the RuO
2-Y
2O
3 or UO
2 are dried at 800°C prior to fluorination, RuO
4 and RuF
6 are also produced, but the yields is about 1020%. Results from I. R. measurements are interpreted the same way.
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