uranium hexafluoride
noun
uranium hexa·flu·o·ride
-ˌhek-sə-ˈflȯr-ˌīd 
-ˈflu̇r-
: a volatile compound UF6 of uranium and fluorine that is used in one major process of enriching uranium in uranium 235
Examples of uranium hexafluoride in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Where Could 400 Kilograms of Uranium Have Gone? To move 400 kilograms—roughly 880 pounds—of enriched uranium hexafluoride (UF₆), Iran would need just a single 30B Type B(U) transport cylinder.
—
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
The ore is purified, dissolved in hot acid and converted into uranium hexafluoride (UF6), a gaseous compound.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
An analysis from the independent Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists based on the most recent IAEA report on Fordow’s enrichment program concluded Iran had enough centrifuges and uranium hexafluoride gas at the site to produce several nuclear weapons.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 23 June 2025
Enrichment operates at very low pressure, almost near-vacuum pressure, Bunn said, adding that the centrifuges themselves have very little uranium hexafluoride.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 June 2025
The fact that even future Israeli strikes are likely to leave Fordow’s centrifuge halls and Iran’s uranium hexafluoride storage site more or less intact will make this a difficult conversation.
—Daniel C. Kurtzer, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2025
During enrichment, this uranium hexafluoride is loaded into a centrifuge: a metal cylinder that spins at tens of thousands of revolutions per minute—faster than the blades of a jet engine.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 13 June 2025
The process involves spinning uranium hexafluoride gas in centrifuges to separate isotopes by weight.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
This can be done through a variety of methods including separating the uranium isotopes with a laser, or through gaseous diffusion, in which uranium hexafluoride is fed through pipes with filters to separate the molecules in the uranium isotopes.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
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Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
The ore is purified, dissolved in hot acid and converted into uranium hexafluoride (UF6), a gaseous compound.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
An analysis from the independent Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists based on the most recent IAEA report on Fordow’s enrichment program concluded Iran had enough centrifuges and uranium hexafluoride gas at the site to produce several nuclear weapons.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 23 June 2025
Enrichment operates at very low pressure, almost near-vacuum pressure, Bunn said, adding that the centrifuges themselves have very little uranium hexafluoride.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 June 2025
The fact that even future Israeli strikes are likely to leave Fordow’s centrifuge halls and Iran’s uranium hexafluoride storage site more or less intact will make this a difficult conversation.
—Daniel C. Kurtzer, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2025
During enrichment, this uranium hexafluoride is loaded into a centrifuge: a metal cylinder that spins at tens of thousands of revolutions per minute—faster than the blades of a jet engine.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 13 June 2025
The process involves spinning uranium hexafluoride gas in centrifuges to separate isotopes by weight.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
This can be done through a variety of methods including separating the uranium isotopes with a laser, or through gaseous diffusion, in which uranium hexafluoride is fed through pipes with filters to separate the molecules in the uranium isotopes.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Uranium hexafluoride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uranium%20hexafluoride. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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uranium hexafluoride
noun
uranium hexa·flu·o·ride
-ˌhek-sə-ˈflu̇(-ə)r-ˌīd
: a compound of uranium and fluorine that is used in one major process for the separation of uranium 235 from ordinary uranium
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