SOLUBILITY OF HYDROGEN IN THE 50 WEIGHT PERCENT URANIUM-ZIRCONIUM ALLOY. Scientific Paper 100FF1010-P1

Technical Report · Tue Oct 16 00:00:00 EDT 1956

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4334266· OSTI ID:4334266

Gulbransen, E A; Andrew, K F; Ruka, R J

The reaction of He with the epsilon phase of the 50 wt. % U--Zr alloy is studied using a sensitive vacuum microbalance apparatus to prepare the alloys, a sensitive McLeod gage to measure the dissociation pressures, and x-ray diffraction analyses to determine the phases present in the alloy. Although the reaction of H/sub 2/ with the alloy is very rapid at 100 deg C for oxide free surfaces, homogenization is very slow. Hydrogen alloys are prepared in the composition range of U/sub 0.28/Zr/sub 0.72/H/sub 0.0007/to U/sub 0.28/Zr/sub 0. 72/H/sub 0.121/ and the dissociation pressure measurements determined in the temperature range of 300 to 600 deg C. Due to the slow processes of homogenization, the hydride ZrH/sub 1.2/ is not readily precipitated below 400 deg C. On heating to 525 deg C and cooling, the hydride is readily formed for compositions of U/sub 0.28/Zr/sub0.72/H/sub 0.035/ and higher. For lower H/sub 2/ compositions, the hydride is not found in the x-ray diffraction patterns on heating these compositions to 525 deg C and cooling. It is suggested that small hydride nuclei are formed which are not observable by x-ray diffraction methods. Due to a slow rate of metallic diffusion, these nuclei cannot grow. The solubility of H/sub 2/ in the alloy is determined to be approximately 0.02 at.% at 500 deg C. This is a smaller value than that found for pure Zr. However, the heat of solution of hydride is +8,900 plus or minus 1,000 calories per gram atom and compares with a value of +8,600 calories per gram atom found for Zr. A transformation of the epsilon to gamma phase of the alloy is found near 550 deg C. (auth)

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp. Research Labs. East Pittsburgh, Penna.
• NSA Number: NSA-12-005368
• OSTI ID: 4334266
• Report Number(s): AECU-3621
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

MINERALOGY, METALLURGY, AND CERAMICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COOLING
DECOMPOSITION
DIFFRACTION
DIFFUSION
GAGES
HEATING
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MANOMETERS
MEASURED VALUES
NUCLEI
OXIDES
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PRECIPITATION
PREPARATION
PRESSURE
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIATIONS
SOLUBILITY
SOLUTIONS
SPECIFIC HEAT
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE
URANIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM HYDRIDES