Why is hydrogen fluoride used during uranium tetrafluoride production?

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

In the context of uranium processing, hydrogen fluoride (HF) is used as a chemical reagent to convert uranium dioxide (UO₂) into uranium tetrafluoride (UF₄) through a process known as hydrofluorination.1

When powdered uranium dioxide is treated with gaseous hydrogen fluoride at temperatures around 550 °C (1,025 °F), the chemical reaction produces uranium tetrafluoride and water vapor. This conversion is a critical step in the nuclear fuel cycle because the resulting UF₄ serves as a vital intermediate product. It can subsequently be reduced to produce high-quality uranium metal via the Ames process, or it can be further fluorinated to create uranium hexafluoride, which is essential for the isotopic enrichment of uranium-235.12