EVALUATION OF THORIUM AND THORIUM-URANIUM COMPOUNDS AS THERMAL BREEDER FUELS

Technical Report · Thu Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4787407

Farkas, M S; Bauer, A A; Dickerson, R F

Cylindrical arc castings of near theoretical density of Th/sub 2/Al, ThB/ sub 4/, ThBe/sub 13/, ThC, ThC/sub 2/, Th/sub 3/Si/sub 2/, and ThSi, without and with the substitution of 10 at.% uranium for part of the thorium, were prepared. Microstructural studies showed that, with the exception of the aluminide, the uranium replaced the thorium in solid solution in the compounds. Hardness measurements of all compounds indicated considerable strength, especially for the borides and beryllides. Oxidation tests in dry air and CO/ at 1100 deg F indicated greatest oxidation resistance for the borides and beryllides while the aluminides and silicides reacted extremely rapidly; the carbides exhibited intermediate resistance. All of the compounds showed negligible attack by NaK at 1200 deg F and, except for the silicides, which exhibited measurable corrosion rates, the behavior of the compounds was roughly comparable in Santowsx R at 660 deg F. In water at 195 deg F the carbides disintegrated rapidly while the borides and beryllides showed no evidence of corrosion; the aluminides and silicides corroded slowly under the same conditions. (auth)

• Research Organization: Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, Ohio
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-92
• NSA Number: NSA-16-012651
• OSTI ID: 4787407
• Report Number(s): BMI-1568
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
ALUMINUM COMPOUNDS
BERYLLIUM COMPOUNDS
BORIDES
BORON COMPOUNDS
BREEDING
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CASTING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
CORROSION PROTECTION
CYLINDERS
DENSITY
FERTILE MATERIALS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUELS
HARDNESS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HUMIDITY
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
LATTICES
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURED VALUES
METALLOGRAPHY
METALLURGY
OXIDATION
POLYPHENYLS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
REACTION KINETICS
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
SANTOWAX
SILICIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLID SOLUTIONS
TESTING
THERMAL NEUTRONS
THORIUM
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
WATER