THERMAL EXPANSION OF PLUTONIUM CARBIDES

Technical Report · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4793564

Pallmer, P G

The reaction of plutonium hydride with carbon produced a mixture of plutonium monocarbide and plutcnium sesquicarbide. A wrapped container enabled the thin-walled quartz capillary containing the specimen to be handled in a gloved box and to be removed without stray alpha-contamination. Welding of the specimen rotating msgnet in the powder camera and limitation of the temperature of plutonium compounds to 780 deg C are precautions which should be taken to avoid breaknge of capillaries in the future. A large possible error in calculated coefficients would result from any difference in thermal radiation equilibrium of thermocouple and sample, perhaps as much as 20 deg C. The lattice thermal expansions of plutonium monccarbide and plutonium sesquicarbide were 10.8 x 10/sup -6/ deg C, and 14.8 x 10/sup -6// deg C, respectively. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Wash.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(45-1)-1350
• NSA Number: NSA-16-015180
• OSTI ID: 4793564
• Report Number(s): HW-72245
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CAMERAS
CAPILLARIES
CARBON
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ERRORS
EXPANSION
GLOVEBOXES
HIGH TEMPERATURE
LATTICES
MAGNETS
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
MIXING
NUMERICALS
PLUTONIUM CARBIDES
PLUTONIUM HYDRIDES
POWDERS
QUARTZ
RADIATION PROTECTION
REMOTE HANDLING
ROTATION
SAMPLING
TEMPERATURE
THERMAL RADIATION
THERMOCOUPLES
THICKNESS
VESSELS
WELDING