QUARTERLY METALLURGICAL PROGRESS REPORT NO. 21 FOR THE PERIOD OF OCTOBER 1- DECEMBER 31, 1963

Technical Report · Sat Oct 31 00:00:00 EST 1964

OSTI ID:4084222

A study of stainless steel--Gd alloys was completed and the 10-wt% Gd isopleth in the Fe--Cr--Gd ternary system investigation progressed. ln a program to determine physical and mechanical properties of fused hafnium carbide, evaluation of ingots disclosed that only occasionally could a section of an ingot be found that was neither cracked nor porous. Reaction in air up to 1000 deg C was determined on selected specimens. The investigation of thorium-rare earth phase diagrams consisted of the determination of solidus temperatures and solid- state transformation temperatures. The construction of a new confined radioactive laboratory was begun during the period. Data on electron beam melting of Zr indicate that O/sub 2/ can be removed through doping'' with selected metals. Equipment for study of cold-mold induction melting is now nearly complete. In investigations of UC-UN--UO/sub 2/ systems, most of the efforts were devoted to the development of techniques for powder milling and handling and body fabrication. Examination of the hightemperature decomposition characteristics of UN was initiated. Study of the effect of UN additions on the high temperature properties of UC has undergone a reorientation. The project will now consist of an investigation of UC--UNUO/sub 2/ systems. Samples from arc-melted UN evaluated by metallographic examination were two-phase, tentatively identified as U and UN. Loss of weight during the sintering of UN compacts cannot be explained on the basis of decomposition of the compound as the material present is essentially UN. UN melting and casting research has been terminated. Data on the thermodynamics of cold molds indicate that during consumable- electrode arc melting the transfer of heat is distributed over a much larger area than during nonconsumable-electrode arc melting. Isostatically-pressed W-25 Re alloy compacts were sintered in vacuum at 1,800 to 2,750 deg C. X-ray and microstructure analyses are not complete but preliminary results indicate that sigma phase is present in all specimens sintered at or below 2,200 deg C. Compacts were upset-forged at 1,400 deg C. Limited forgeability was observed for compacts sintered at 2,000 and 2,200 deg C and good forgeability for compacts sintered at or above 2,400 deg C. Swaging of W and W-25 Re tubes over a Mo mandrel at 1,500 deg C showed that the short blade, chopper-type swaging dies are superior to the longblade, general purpose dies. Wall thickness of the tubes remained essentially unchanged when swaged to reduce the outside diameter by 30%. W wires were drawn at 450 deg to compare lubricants such as oildag, perma-slik, and a sugar-aquadag mixture. All three lubricants were equally satisfactory. Preliminary studies of methods for the preparation of W--Re powder compacts for arc melting and skull casting led to the use of electron-beam equipment for sintering at approximately 2,500 deg C. Casting experiments will begin as soon as the furnace is complete and a sufficient stock of electrodes is available. (auth)

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines. Albany Metallurgy Research Center, Ore.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-599
• NSA Number: NSA-18-014384
• OSTI ID: 4084222
• Report Number(s): USBM-U-1091
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
ADDITIVES
AIR
CASTING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COLD WORKING
COMPACTING
CONFINEMENT
CRACKS
DECOMPOSITION
DIES
DISTRIBUTION
DRAWING
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON BEAMS
FABRICATION
FORGING
FURNACES
FUSED SALTS
GADOLINIUM ALLOYS
HAFNIUM CARBIDES
HEAT TRANSFER
HIGH TEMPERATURE
INDUCTION
IRON ALLOYS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LATTICES
LOSSES
LUBRICATION
MACHINING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MELTING
METALLOGRAPHY
METALS
MIXING
MOLYBDENUM
OILS
OXYGEN
PHASE DIAGRAMS
POROSITY
POWDER METALLURGY
POWDERS
PRESSURE
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVITY
RARE EARTHS
RHENIUM ALLOYS
RODS
SAMPLING
SEP