SOME STUDIES OF THE OXIDATION OF URANIUM DIOXIDE

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963 · Journal of Nuclear Materials (Netherlands)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3115(63)90088-6· OSTI ID:4702599

Scott, K T; Harrison, K T

The use of a new automatically recording microbalance and its application to thermogravimetry are described. This technique is applied to the investigation of the oxidation of various uranium dioxide preparations in air at temperatures up to 800 deg C. Under conditions of linearly increasing temperature, fine uranium dioxide powders are shown to oxidise in a characteristic two-step process first to a tetragonal phase of composition UO/sub 2.35 plus or minus 0.02/ and then to U/sub 3/O/sub 8/. An activation energy of 19.1 kcal is derived for the UO/sub 2/ yields U/sub 3/O/sub 7/'' oxidation. Uranium dioxide of low surface area exhibits oniy a single stage oxidation from UO/sub 2/ yields U/sub 3/O/sub 8/. Initiation of reactions and oxidation rates are found to be proportional to the heating rate. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, Eng.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-028864
• OSTI ID: 4702599
• Report Number(s): AERE-R-4120; 0022-3115
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Materials (Netherlands), Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials (Netherlands) Vol. Vol: 8; ISSN JNUMA
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
CHEMISTRY
CONFIGURATION
EXCITATION
HEATING
INSTRUMENTS
LATTICES
OXIDATION
PHASE DIAGRAMS
POWDERS
PREPARATION
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE
U3O8
URANIUM DIOXIDE
WEIGHT