A differential thermal analysis study of the effect of tramp impurities on the exothermic U sub 3 O sub 8 -Al reactions

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7013503· OSTI ID:7013503

Gray, L W ^[1]; Peacock, H B ^[2]

---

1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
2. Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)

Differential thermal analysis (DTA) has been used to study the effect of impurities on aluminothermic reactions between commercial type 101 aluminum powder and U{sub 3}O{sub 8} powder. No measurable effect (solid state reactions) was found below 660{degrees}C during differential thermal analysis studies of (1) loose blended powders, (2) blended and compressed powders, (3) blended, heated, and compressed powders, or (4) blended, compressed, and heated compacts containing less than 50,000 ppM impurities from group IA halide salts and group IIA oxides. It was determined that impurities (>5 wt %) of alkali metal chlorides, and alkaline earth oxides, cause minor modifications of the reaction thermograms above 800{degrees}C for molten aluminum metal with U{sub 3}O{sub 8}. It was also determined that attempts to prepare alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metal uranates under conditions via reaction below 660{degrees}C. In similar experiments where Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and NiO were substituted for U{sub 3}O{sub 8}, it was determined that NaCl does modify the reactions between aluminum metal and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and between aluminum metal and NiO. With increasing NaCl concentrations, the temperature for initiation of the reaction moves to lower temperatures. At 10 wt % NaCl, the exothermic thermite'' reactions between aluminum and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} or NiO begin at approximately 640{degrees}C. 30 refs., 17 figs., 7 tabs.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 7013503
• Report Number(s): DP-1770; ON: DE90008124
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CERMETS
DIFFERENTIAL THERMAL ANALYSIS
NUCLEAR FUELS
ALUMINIUM
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
IMPURITIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWDERS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SODIUM CHLORIDES
URANIUM OXIDES U3O8
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
THERMAL ANALYSIS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
050700* - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties
400201 - Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
360204 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Physical Properties