THE SOLUBILITY LIMITS OF ALUMINUM IN DELTA PLUTONIUM AND SOME REVISIONS OF THE PLUTONIUM-ALUMINUM PHASE DIAGRAM

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1962 · J. Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3115(62)90096-X· OSTI ID:4790486

Ellinger, F H; Land, C C; Miner, W N

The delta -phase solvus and the delta /( delta + epsilon ) boundary were determined by the x-ray lattice-spacing method. The maximum solubility of aluminum in delta plutonium was found to be 14.5 plus or minus 0.2 at.% aluminum at the peritectoid temperature (788 plus or minus 5 deg C). With decreasing temperature the solubility decreases to 13.6 at.% aluminum at 560 deg C where the solvus shows a point of inflection at its junction with the delta + PuAl in equilibrium Pu/sub 3/Al peritectoid horizontal. Below 560 deg C the solubility decreases to 11.3 at.% aluminum at 350 deg C, the lowest temperature, so far, at which it is fairly certain that equilibrium was achieved. The precipitation behaviors of Pu/sub 3/Al and PuAl in delta phase are discussed. The intermediate phase PuAl was found to have decomposed into Pu/sub 3/Al and PuAl/sub 2/ after being aged at room temperature for 10 years. The equilibrium decomposition temperature was fixed at 193 plus or minus 3 deg C. Changes in aged alloys containing the delta phase indicate that delta phase is stable at room temperature. Additional thermal-analysis work led to some modifications of liquidus and solidus temperatures. (auth)

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.
• NSA Number: NSA-16-016750
• OSTI ID: 4790486
• Journal Information: J. Nuclear Materials, Vol. Vol: 5; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
ALLOTROPY
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM ALLOYS
DECOMPOSITION
DIFFRACTION
EXPANSION
GRAIN SIZE
HEAT TREATMENTS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
LATTICES
PERITECTOIDS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PHASE TRANSFORMATION
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM ALLOYS
PLUTONIUM-DELTA
PRECIPITATION
REACTION KINETICS
SOLUBILITY
SPECTROMETERS
TEMPERATURE
X RADIATION
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES