MECHANISM FOR OXIDATION OF URANIUM IN CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING MOIST GASES (thesis)

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1963

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4127553· OSTI ID:4127553

Verink, Jr., E. D.

The kinetics of the oxidation of uranium in dry and moist oxygen and nitrogen were determined at 75 deg C. A step-wise mechanism involving uranium hydride formation as the rate-controlling step is proposed. Principal conclusions are: (1) Dry oxygen and dry nitrogen are without appreciable action on uranium at 75 deg C. (2) Moisture is principally responsible for the oxidation of uranium under these test conditions. (3) Oxygen inhibits attack by moisture while hydrogen accelerates attack. (4) Oxidation of uranium occurs in at least two stages obeying different time dependencies: DELTA W1/sub 1/ = k/sub 1/t/sub 3/2/ initial stage DELTA W/sub 2/ = 0.378 t seco nd (linear) stage, where k/sub 1/ < 0.378 mu g/cm/sup 2//min. (5) Uranium hydride is formed in the initial, rate-controlling step and is a transitory phase. (6) The final oxidation product is a combination of stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric forms of UO/sub 2/. (7) The activation energy for the linear oxidation is low, being approximately 10 kcal/mole. (auth)

• Research Organization: Ohio State Univ. Research Foundation, Columbus
• DOE Contract Number: AT(29-1)-789
• NSA Number: NSA-18-008756
• OSTI ID: 4127553
• Report Number(s): SC-DC-64-203
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACTIVATION
ENERGY
HUMIDITY
MATERIALS TESTING
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NITROGEN
OXIDATION
OXYGEN
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
REACTION KINETICS
TEMPERATURE
URANIUM
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM HYDRIDES