How is uranyl nitrate converted into uranium dioxide?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Enrichment of uranium — uranium processing How uranium is enriched to make a nuclear weapon.

The conversion of uranyl nitrate to uranium dioxide (UO₂) is a two-step process typically employed in uranium processing.

First, the uranyl nitrate is subjected to calcining, a thermal treatment that converts the nitrate into uranium trioxide (UO₃). Second, the resulting trioxide is reduced using hydrogen gas to produce uranium dioxide (UO₂).1

This powdered UO₂ is a critical intermediate in the nuclear fuel cycle, often serving as the precursor for further conversion into uranium tetrafluoride (UF₄) or being processed into ceramic fuel pellets for use in nuclear reactors.12