Chemical Reactivity of Uranium Monocarbide and Uranium Mononitride with Water at 100° C

Technical Report · Thu Feb 26 04:00:00 EST 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6028857· OSTI ID:6028857

Newkirk, H. W. ^[1]

---

1. General Electric Co., Richland, WA (United States). Hanford Atomic Products Operation

The monocarbide and the mononitride of uranium are potentially useful ceramic nuclear fuel materials. This paper reports the results of exploratory investigations of the reactions of uranium monocarbide and uranium mononitride with boiling water. Uranium dioxide, chemically stable in deoxygenated boiling water, was used as a control. The experimental results are assembled and illustrate the surface morphology of the particles before and after heating in boiling water. The amount of material not recovered is considered to be less than the experimental error of the technique. In particular, the uranium monocarbide formed a greyish-green slime on the sides of the flask, which made total recovery difficult. The x-ray and electron microscopy results show that uranium mononcarbide reacted with water to form uranium dioxide. Uranium dioxide was insoluble under the experimental conditions. Uranium monoitride remained unaffected by the boiling distilled water. Uranium monocarbide powder reacts with boiling, distilled water to form uranium dioxide. Uranium monoitride is unaffected by heating in boiling, distilled water for 24 hours.

• Research Organization: General Electric Co., Richland, WA (United States). Hanford Atomic Products Operation
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6028857
• Report Number(s): HW--59408; ON: DE91008545
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400700 -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BOILING
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEAR FUELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PNICTIDES
RADIATIONS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
URANIUM CARBIDES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM NITRIDES
URANIUM OXIDES
WATER
X RADIATION
YIELDS