S4E10 Depleted UF6: A By-Product for Industry - 05/20/24 - Zak LaFontaine, DOE Program Director, Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion Program

Gone Fission Nuclear Report

The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is more than tearing down aging, contaminated buildings. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, we’ll take a look at another dimension of cleanup--the conversion of depleted uranium hexafluoride—or UF6--at Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio. A by-product of the conversion process is hydrofluoric acid which has wide applications in industry--from pharmaceuticals and refrigerants to aluminum, plastics, electrical components and more. Hydrofluoric acid from the conversion process is sold to industry and is a revenue generator for the government. Our guest is Zak LaFontaine, DOE Program Director for the Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion Program at Paducah and Portsmouth.

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