Inspectors are examining a Honeywell plant in Metropolis, Ill., looking for answers why a chemical compound leaked out Aug. 1. A Honeywell spokesperson says they're working to find out how much uranium hexafluoride was released. A release of this same chemical happened back in October 2014.
According to The Environmental Management website, uranium hexafluoride does not react with oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or dry air, but it does react with water or water vapor. For this reason, uranium hexafluoride is always handled in leak tight containers and processing equipment. When uranium hexafluoride comes into contact with water, such as water vapor in the air, the uranium hexafluoride and water react, forming corrosive hydrogen fluoride (HF) and a uranium-fluoride compound called uranyl fluoride (UO2F2).
Honeywell officials indicated the leak was on the sixth floor of the plant’s feed materials building, The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said. Monitoring devices located at the site boundaries detected no radiological release beyond regulatory limits.
Honeywell Metropolis Works is the only U.S. facility that converts uranium ore into uranium hexafluoride, an essential compound used to produce enriched uranium as fuel in nuclear power plants, according to the company's website.