INVESTIGATIONS OF CARBIDES AS CATHODES FOR THERMIONIC SPACE REACTORS. Quarterly Progress Report for the Period Ending February 28, 1963

Technical Report · Wed May 15 04:00:00 EDT 1963

OSTI ID:4672951

Yang, L; Weinberg, A F; Carpenter, F D; Elsner, N; Hudson, R G; Lindgren, J R; Horner, M H

Studies are being made of the vaporization and electron emission of UC-- ZrC and W-clad UC in cesium vapor. Short-term (43 hr) measurements demonstrated that cesium at a pressure of 1.8 torr reduced the rate of vaporization of a 90 UC- -10 ZrC sample at 2093 c- K by about a factor of 6. The effects of sample density were studied. The thermionic-emission microscope was assembled and tested. A high-temperature furnace was fabricated and tested. An integral test of one instrumented and fueled subassembly of the unclad carbide capsule was carried out successfully in the TRIGA Reactor. Clad capsules are being prepared. Measurements were made of the vacuum emission and rate of vaporization of UMoC/ sub 2/. Studies were made of the diffusion between UC and cast tungsten and W-- Mo alloys at 1800 c- C for a period of 24 hr. Methods of hydriding and carburizing U-- Zr alloys to prepare submicron-size UC-ZrC powder are discussed. (M.C.G.)

• Research Organization: General Atomic Div. General Dynamics Corp., San Diego, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-025687
• OSTI ID: 4672951
• Report Number(s): GA-4173
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CARBIDES
CATHODES
CESIUM
DENSITY
DIFFUSION
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
EVAPORATION
FABRICATION
FUEL CANS
FURNACES
GRAIN SIZE
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDRIDES
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURED VALUES
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
MOLYBDENUM CARBIDES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
POWDERS
PRESSURE
REACTORS
SPACE VEHICLES
THERMIONICS
TUNGSTEN
TUNGSTEN ALLOYS
URANIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM CARBIDES
VACUUM
VAPORS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM CARBIDES