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U.S. Department of Energy
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Fast transport of cobalt in thorium

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6363567

Three investigations associated with the fast transport behavior of cobalt in thorium have been conducted. These include (1) a study of a metastable ThCo/sub x/ phase and the solid solubility of cobalt in thorium in dilute thorium-cobalt alloys, (2) a study of the mechanism of fast diffusion of cobalt in thorium using diffusion and internal friction experiments and (3) a study of the thermotransport behavior of cobalt in thorium. A metastable plate phase, having a stoichiometry of about ThCo/sub 0.08/, forms in alloys containing greater than 0.004 at. % Co that are quenched from the single-phase field. Upon aging between 773 and 1073 K the plate phase transforms to rod-like precipitates of the equilibrium Th/sub 7/Co/sub 3/ phase. The solid solubility of cobalt in thorium increases from 0.05 at. % at 1120 K to 0.4 at. % at 1350 K according to the relation, c/sub s/ (at. %) = 7044 exp(/minus/110.5 kJ mol/sup /minus/1//RT). The terminal solid solubility at the eutectic temperature of 1373 K is 0.45 at. %. The activation energy for diffusion of cobalt in ..cap alpha.. thorium is 83.7 kJ/mol whereas that associated with the anelastic relaxation process for cobalt in thorium is 78.0 kJ/mol. The diffusion and internal friction results can be interpreted as supporting either the host-solute diplon mechanism or the interstitial mechanism of fast diffusion. The heat of transport, Q*, for cobalt in thorium was determined by the single-phase steady-state technique and a new technique referred to as the two-phase nonsteady-state technique. 59 refs., 37 figs., 7 tabs.

Research Organization:
Ames Lab., IA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
OSTI ID:
6363567
Report Number(s):
IS-T-1295; ON: DE89007681
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English