Study of Uranium-20 Wt Per Cent Plutonium-Niobium Alloys; ETUDE D'ALLIAGES U-Pu-Nb A 20 POUR CENT EN POIDS DE PLUTONIUM

Technical Report · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4687768

Abgrall, J; Barthelemy, P; Boucher, R

U-Pu--Nb alloys containing 20 wt% Pu and 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 wt% Nb were studied, principally to determine the feasibility of their use as fuel elements. The fabrication, casting, and honrogenization presented certain difficulties due especially to niobium. The transformation temperatures, thermal expansion coefficients, and nature of phases were determined by thermal analysis, dilatonmetry, micrography, and x-ray diffraction. For similar compositions, U-- Pu- Mo and U-- Pu-- Nb alloys have any common points concerning the presence of zeta phase (up to 40 wt% Nb), the coefficients of expansion, the good behavior during thermal cyclings, and the good resistance to air oxidation in spite of zeta phase. In consequence, irradiation tests in EL-3 reactor (SACLAY) will be carried out in the near future. (auth)

• Research Organization: France. Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique. Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires, Fontenay-aux-Roses
• NSA Number: NSA-17-041422
• OSTI ID: 4687768
• Report Number(s): CEA-2300
• Country of Publication: France
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
CASTING
DIFFRACTION
EL-3
EXPANSION
FABRICATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
IRRADIATION
MATERIALS TESTING
METALLOGRAPHY
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
MIXING
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
OXIDATION
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PLUTONIUM ALLOYS
REACTORS
STABILITY
THERMAL STRESSES
THERMODYNAMICS
URANIUM ALLOYS
USES
VOLUME
X RADIATION