STUDIES ON THE REACTION OF THORIUM WITH GRAPHITE AT HIGH TEMPERATURES

Journal Article · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1962 · Nippon Kinzoku Gakkaishi (Japan)

OSTI ID:4666562

Takeuchi, S; Honma, T; Satow, T

The reaction of thorium metal with graphite was studied in the temperature range of 900 to 1800 deg C. It was found that the reaction rate was parabolic, and the activation energy for the reaction was 53 kcal/mole below 1200 deg C. Experiments showed that the growth of carbide film was caused mainly by the migration of carbon. From these results, the rate determining process of the reaction seems to be the diffusion of carbon in the carbide film formed on the metal surface. Hydrocarbons, yielded by hydrolysis of the carbide film, were analyzed by gas chromatographic method, from which the ratio of ThC/ThC/sub 2/ in the carbide film was determined. The film formed below 1200 deg C was composed of ThC only. However, in the film formed above 1300 deg C the ratio of ThC/ThC/ sub 2/ decreased with increasing temperature. The activation energy for ThC/sub 2/ formation was 140 kcal/ mole. The diffusion coefficient of carbon in ThC was calculated from the parabolic rate constants. The amount of thorium carbide, which would form in a thorium blanket of graphite matrix fuel reactor, was estimated. (auth)

• Research Organization: Tohoku Univ., Sendai
• NSA Number: NSA-17-035802
• OSTI ID: 4666562
• Journal Information: Nippon Kinzoku Gakkaishi (Japan), Journal Name: Nippon Kinzoku Gakkaishi (Japan) Vol. Vol: 27; ISSN NIKGA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: Japanese

Related Subjects

BLANKETS
CARBIDES
CARBON
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DIFFUSION
FILMS
GASES
GRAPHITE
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROLYSIS
MATHEMATICS
MATRICES
METALS
PRODUCTION
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
REACTION KINETICS
REACTORS
SURFACES
THERMODYNAMICS
THORIUM
THORIUM CARBIDES