A REVIEW OF THE CORROSION OF URANIUM AND ITS ALLOYS
One characteristic of the corrosion of uranium is the accelerating destruction of the metal under both dry and humid conditions and throughout a wide temperature range. Another corrosion property is the fracturing and fragmentizing of the oxide products. This results in an accelerating or decelerating growth law being operative at a particular time. This time is determined by whether the oxide ruptures rapidly or slowly compared to the rate of growth of the unfractured oxide. The reaction with dry air is essentially a reaction with the conlinear oxidation laws are observed. In steam, because UO/ sub 2/ is the product at temperatures below 250 C and U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ at temperatures above 250 C, different reaction rates occur in the two temperature ranges. The effects of a few alloying elements on the corrosion resistance of uranium are reviewed. Wartime research indicates that small additions of aluminum, molybodenum, nickel, and titanium have a slightly beneficial effect. Niobium, silicon, and zirconium increase substantially the corrosion resistance to water provided the alloy has had adequate heat treatment. There is some information that the addition of small amounts, less than 2%, of aluminum or silicon increases the resistance of uranium to oxidation in air. A ternary alloy containing 2.2% niobium and 0.5% zirconium was found to have even greater resistance. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-012665
- OSTI ID:
- 4265754
- Report Number(s):
- LA-1524
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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