Nuclear Chemistry Question

[Mercedes Benzene]

I had a dream about this last night (don't ask me why), so I thought I would try to get an answer.

I've always been obsessed with nuclear chemistry, and I'm fully aware of most of the processes that occur, but this one idea still bothers me...

 

Okay, say you have an isotope... let's use Uranium-234.

Now, Uranium-234 undergoes alpha decay to become Thorium-230 (i think, haha)

Anyway:

Let's say that the Uranium-234 was incorporated into a compound of uranium tetrafluoride (UF4)

When this Uranium undergoes alpha decay, as mentioned before it becomes Thorium-230.

 

So.... what happens to the compound??? I doubt that the new thorium atom would take the place of the uranium atom in the tetrafluoride compound... but that would mean that it just becomes thorium and the fluorine atoms. So do they just "break apart" and now you have 4 seperate atoms of thorium, fluorine, fluorine, fluorine, and fluorine??

 

I am sooo confused!

[cwes99_03]

I recommend viewing a chart on atomic radiation to determine what uranium 234 actually breaks down into. I don't believe u-234 is an alpha particle producer.

[ronthepon]

Nuclear reactions are enormously more energy involving than normal chemical reactions. The compounds that were there earlier will probably break apart, leaving the fluorine to find any reaction capable atom nearby.

 

In cases, elements bound to the atom undergoing the nuclear reaction absorb products of the nuclear reaction and form their own little reactions.

[Jay-qu]

The reaction between atoms is normally through their electrons. Obviously there will be some changes by the sudden loss of +2 charge in the nucleus but I dont see why the flourine would not stay bonded.

[Mercedes Benzene]

I recommend viewing a chart on atomic radiation to determine what uranium 234 actually breaks down into. I don't believe u-234 is an alpha particle producer.

 

I guarentee that it undergoes alpha decay, but that is of no relevance to this thread....

 

Anyway, I thank both ron and jay for your thoughts, but I'm still having a hard time grasping what actually happens.

Any more thoughts?

[cwes99_03]

Quite right (I was thinking of a fission reaction.)

 

The alpha decay as Ron mentioned is a pretty vigorous loss of two protons and two neutrons. This would leave a couple of energetic electrons around too.

 

ThF4 however is a new compound that may be possible if the alpha decay doesn't blow the Fluorine atoms far far away. F2 is a pretty stable compound if it does, and Th would most likely oxidize in the atmosphere.

 

Thorium fluoride, ThF4, is the currently preferred low index material which is transparent from the UV to the IR. Evaporated films are durable and chemically stable and exhibit low stress in thicknesses up to 2 µm. Common applications are for AR coatings in the 8 to 12 µm region, including high power CO2 laser coatings

[Mercedes Benzene]

Okay... See I just did not know if while the uranium was "transforming" into thorium that it would break away from the other atoms.

 

I was just using the uranium and F4 as an example, but I am really talking about any compound that contains an radioisotope...

 

I think we may need an expert for this one!:eek_big: