PLUTONIUM-URANIUM-TITANIUM ALLOYS
Plutonium -- uranium -- titanium alloys are proposed for use as fast breeder reactor fuel because they have the following advantages: (1) Pu/sup 239/ serves as breeder fuel for fast (epithermal) neutron fiuxes; (2) uranium serves to dilute plutonium and thus reduces cooling difficulties without slowing fast neutrons down to a point where they are captured by Pu/sup 239/. The uranium is converted to plutonium by reactor operation, thus replacing the spent plutonium; and (3) titanium improves tae metallurgical properties of plutonium- uranium alloys (fabrication, working, and corrosion resistance) and does not moderate fast neutrons. Such alloys can be made by mixing uranium and plutonium in atomic proportions from 9: 1 to I: 1 and adding 15 to 60 (preferably 32 to 42) at.% titanium. The superior ing a hexagonal crystal structure and the composition A method is outlined for producing actinide metals and their alloys by reducing their halides, usually chlorides, with reducing metals, e.g.. potassium, in the presence of an excess of a volatile metal (zinc, cadmium, and mercury) at temperatures abeve 360 deg C in a closed vessel. The function of the volatile metal is to alloy the resulting actinide and form a medium to which a metal to be alloyed with the actinide can be added; the volatile metal may then be evaporated off, leaving the desired alloy in powder or spongy form. As the volatile metal, mercury is excellent for obtaining fine metallic and alloy powders; cadmium is recommended for fissionable metals because of its large neutron capture cross section. The product chloride is usually separated from the reaction mixture before evappration of the volatile metal. It is often desirable to reduce the melting point of the product chloride, and addition of MgCl/sub 2/ will accomplish this with NaCl. Applications of the above method are given using UCl/ sub 5/ reduction and production of uranium- zirconium alloy with 5 wt.% zirconium as examples. This method is suitable for producing actinide alloys with aluminum, titanium, zirconium, etc. (D.L.C.)
- Research Organization:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- NSA Number:
- NSA-14-025873
- OSTI ID:
- 4126812
- Report Number(s):
- GB 843307
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
ENDF/B-VII.1 Neutron Cross Section Data Testing with Critical Assembly Benchmarks and Reactor Experiments
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DIVISION SUMMARY REPORT FOR APRIL, MAY, JUNE 1960