The Uranium Monocarbide-Plutonium Monocarbide System

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4717687· OSTI ID:4717687

Rosen, S; Nevitt, M V

The (U,Pu)C phase field of the U--Pu --C ternary system for temperataes below 635 deg C was constructed from metallographic and x-ray diffraction data. Uranium monocarbid formed a complete series of solid solutions with plutonium monocarbide. The (U,Pu)C phase was stoichiometric as regards its carbon content in a composition range from 0 to 35 at.% Pu. With a further increase in Pu content it deviated from ideal stoichiometry toward greater metal to carbon ratios to form the defect (U,Pu)C phase. Pu expanded the unit celi of the monocarbide over the composition range in which it retained its stoichiometric character. In the region of the defect structure the lattice parameter decreased with increasing Pu content, the extent of the decrease being dependent upon the carbon contert. Metallographic observations on cast alloys showed that a transition occurs in the microstructures between U-rich alloys which show a homogeneous carbide phase and Pu-rich alloys which show a cored carbide phase.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Ill.; Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• NSA Number: NSA-17-011181
• OSTI ID: 4717687
• Report Number(s): ANL-FGF-345; UAC-6408
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CARBIDES
CARBON
CASTING
DIFFRACTION
HIGH TEMPERATURE
LATTICES
METALLOGRAPHY
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM ALLOYS
PLUTONIUM CARBIDES
QUANTITY RATIO
SOLID SOLUTIONS
TEMPERATURE
URANIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM CARBIDES
X RADIATION