UF3

uranium trifluoride · uranium(III) fluoride

Uranium trifluoride is a stable, semiconducting compound of uranium and fluorine primarily used in nuclear energy research.

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Crystal structure of UF3
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About uranium trifluoride

Uranium trifluoride is a stable inorganic compound consisting of uranium and fluorine. As a semiconducting material, it plays a critical role in the chemistry of actinide halides, serving as a foundational substance for understanding the behavior of uranium in complex chemical environments.

Due to its position on the convex hull, this compound is recognized for its thermodynamic stability. It is primarily utilized in specialized nuclear applications, particularly within the development of molten salt reactor systems where its chemical properties are essential for fuel processing and coolant chemistry.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for uranium trifluoride, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.08–0.25 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

28
3 databases, 11 space groups
Uses

Applications

Where uranium trifluoride is used.

molten salt reactor fuel researchnuclear fuel processingactinide chemistry research
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about uranium trifluoride, answered from cross-validated data.

What is UF3?

Uranium trifluoride is a stable, semiconducting compound of uranium and fluorine primarily used in nuclear energy research.

More questions
What is UF3 used for?
uranium trifluoride (UF3) is used in molten salt reactor fuel research, nuclear fuel processing, and actinide chemistry research.
What is the band gap of UF3?
uranium trifluoride (UF3) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.08–0.25 eV across 28 reported structures.
Is UF3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 0.25 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is UF3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — uranium trifluoride (UF3) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of UF3 are known?
28 structures of UF3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 11 distinct space groups.
What elements does UF3 contain?
uranium trifluoride (UF3) contains F and U (2 elements).
Where does the data for UF3 come from?
UF3 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a primary fluoride of uranium, this compound serves as a fundamental reference point for actinide halide chemistry. It represents a stable, semiconducting phase that provides essential data for modeling the behavior of nuclear materials under extreme conditions.

Data sources & attribution
  • latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform

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