THE CORROSION BEHAVIORS OF PLUTONIUM AND URANIUM
The many similarities in the chemical reactivity of plutonium and uranium were used to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in the corrosion behavior of these metals and their alloys. It may be concluded that the reaction in aqueous environment is controlled by the rate of one or more reactions occurring at local anodes. The corrosion behavior of binary uranium alloys with zirconium, molybdenum, and hafnium, as well as ternary alloys with niobium and molybdenum, was studied to elucidate the role of moisture. Percentages of the order of 15 at. % are needed to affect significant improvements in the corrosion resistance. A cracking of the alloy specimens that is sometimes observed was related to the penetration and subsequent fracture of hydride needles which originate at the surface. Zirconium, aluminum, and thorium which are soluble in the face-centered-cubic delta modification of plutonium, reduce the rate of corrosion and render of plutonium relatively immune to attack by moisture. The observed rates for the better alloys are approximately equal in moist and dry air, and both rates are dry air. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-12-014767
- OSTI ID:
- 4844079
- Report Number(s):
- A/CONF.15/P/699
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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