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U.S. Department of Energy
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THE CARBOTHERMIC REDUCTION OF URANIUM OXIDE

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4303668· OSTI ID:4303668
Uranium oxide has been reduced by carbon under vacuum at 225O deg C, to yield a product consisting of dendritic uranium carbide in a matrix of uranium. Uranium sponge is obtained from this cermet by hydrolyzr-ng the interconnected UC. This is followed by pickling in dilute nitric acid to remove the residual hydrolysis product UO/sub 2/ x H/sub 2/O from the metal. As carried out on the 100-pound scale, the average over-all yield of uranium from 21 reductions was 31.2% per reduction cycle. The uranium is of high purity and is in a form that is well suited to direct arc melting with or without alloying, clad rolling, or powder metallurgical consolidation. (auth)
Research Organization:
Sylvania-Corning Nuclear Corp., Bayside, N.Y.
NSA Number:
NSA-12-011387
OSTI ID:
4303668
Report Number(s):
SCNC-241
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English