REACTIVITY OF URANIUM COMPOUNDS IN SEVERAL GASEOUS MEDIA
Corrosion sutdies were made of several uranium compounds with oxygen and nitrogen and in some cases with water vapor. The compounds, USi, USi/sub 2/, USi/ sub 3/, U/sub 3/Si/sub 2/, UAl/sub 2/, UC/sub 2/, UBe/sub 13/, and UB/sub 2/ were invest igated Vacuum sintered compacts of the various materials which had bulk densities greater than 75% of theoretical were used. The nominal compounds had about 5 to 10% of one or more other phases present. The rates of reaction of the compounds with thc gases were determined for periods up to three hours. Weight gain mesasurements Here obtained using a Sartorius Electrona microbalance. The rates of reaction of oxygen with itally follow a linear rate law up to 400 deg C. Above about 400 deg C, both the UB/sub 2/ and USi reacted anisothermally, that is, the temperature of the specimens increases and caused the rate of reaction to increase rapidly with time. In contrast, the UBe/sub 13/ reaction was isothermal at temperatures up to 800 deg C. The reactions of oxygen with the compounds, listed in order of incressing rates, USi/sub 3/, USi/sub 2/, UsSi/sub 2/, and UC/ sub 2/ follow a parabolic rate law up to about 100 deg C, while the oxidation of UAl/sub 2/ follows a cubic law. In contrast, purc uranium oxidizes linearly at these temperatures. In nearly all cases, U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ was the only oxidation product detected by x- ray analysis. The . reaction of nitrogen with all the compounds follows a parabolic jaw at temperatures up to 600 to 800 deg C. UB/sub 2/ was the only material that reacted more slowly with nitrogen than did uranium under similar conditions. However, in all cases the reactions of the compounds with nitrogen were slower than the reaction with oxygen at the same temperatures. The nitrogen reaction product in each case was principally UN/sub x/ where x is greater than 1.5. The reactions of water vapor at 29 mm of mercury with UBe/sub 13/, UB/sub 2/, and UC/sub 2/ follow a linear rate law. These reactions are slower than the resction of oxygen with the compounds. UO/sub 2/ was the only product of reaction with water vapor detected by x-ray analysis. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, Ohio
- NSA Number:
- NSA-12-014736
- OSTI ID:
- 4307203
- Report Number(s):
- A/CONF.15/P/710
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Prepared for the Second U.N. International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, 1958. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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ALUMINUM ALLOYS
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GASES
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MEASURED VALUES
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QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
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WEIGHT
X RADIATION