ELECTROPLATED METALS ON URANIUM

Technical Report · Sat May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1954

OSTI ID:4227174

Beach, J G; Schickner, W C; Konecny, C R; Faust, C L

Electroplating on uranium is being studied in connection with the development of an improved, slug-type fuel element for the Hanford Reactors and an aluminumclad, flat-plate fuel element for the Savannah River Reactors. These electroplating studies and concurrent metallurgical cladding studies are integrated to expedite development of an aluminum-uranium-diffusion barrier, and a bonding medium between the uranium and the aluminum cladding. Electrodeposited aluminum, chromium, copper, iron manganese, nickel, palladium, tin, and zinc on uranium were investigated. Four factors were found to influence the corrosion protection of uranium by electroplated metals: uranium surface preparation method of electrodeposition, type and thickness of electroplated metal, and conditions of heat treating required to surface alloy the composite. Vacuum heat treatment of uranium plated with nickel or iron forms an alloy coating. The alloy-coated uranium resists corrosion in boiling water for periods from 100 to 1000 times that of bare uranium. Hot-water attack of this alloy-coated uranium is generally localized as pit-type corrosion at areas of defects originating in the uranium metal. Thin as-deposited metals on uranium offer little or no corrosion resistance. Heat treatment of aluminum, chromium, copper, manganese, tin, or zinc-plated uranium did not provide corrosion resistance. (auth)

• Research Organization: Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, Ohio
• NSA Number: NSA-13-020144
• OSTI ID: 4227174
• Report Number(s): BMI-912(Del.)
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Decl. with deletions June 18, 1959. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

METALLURGY AND CERAMICS
ALLOYS
ALUMINUM
BOILING
BONDING
CHROMIUM
COATING
COPPER
CORROSION PROTECTION
DEFECTS
DIFFUSION
ELECTROPLATING
FUEL ELEMENTS
HAPO
HEAT TREATMENTS
IRON
MANGANESE
METALS
NICKEL
PALLADIUM
PLATES
PLATING
PREPARATION
REACTORS
SAVANNAH RIVER
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SURFACES
THICKNESS
TIN
URANIUM
URANIUM ALLOYS
VACUUM
WATER
ZINC