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HYDROLYSIS OF URANIUM CARBIDES BETWEEN 25 AND 100 . II. AS-CAST ALLOYS CONTAINING 2 TO 10 WT % CARBON

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4643676· OSTI ID:4643676
Reactions with water of as-cast uranium-carbon alloys containing 2to 10 wt% carbon (UC/sub 0.4/ to UC/sub 2.2/) were investigated by using gas- chromatography for analysis of the gaseous products. Uranium metal-uranium monocarbide alloys yielded 2 moles of free hydrogen per mole of free metal, in addition to methane, small quantities of higher molecular weight gaseous hydrocarbons, and a solid, hydrous, tetravalent uranium oxide. The gaseous producte contained all the carbon originally present in the alloy. Uranium dicarbide (UC/sub 1.86/; this combined-C/U atom ratio was the maximum which could be obtained) yielded a mixture of 38 hydrocarbons (methane, 15 vol%; ethane, 28%: C/sub 3/- to C/sub 8/-alkanes, 7%; alkenes, 8%; alkynes, 0.6%; and widentified unsaturates, 1%), free hydrogen (40 vol%), a water-insoluble wax, and a solid, hydrous, tetravalent uranium oxide. Forty% of the combined carbon was found in the gas and 25% in the wax. The gaseous products from the hydrolysis of both UC and UC/sub 1.86/ were not affected by changes in the reaction temperature between 25 and 99 deg . The composition of the gases evolved at 80 deg from as-cast alioys with compositions between UC and UC/sub 1.86/ varied linearly with the combined-C/U atom ratio of the alloy; however, the amounts of methane produced were lower than expected from the UC concentrations in the alloys. (auth)
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
NSA Number:
NSA-17-035696
OSTI ID:
4643676
Report Number(s):
ORNL-TM-462
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English