Selection of Water-Dispersible Carbon Black for Fabrication of Uranium Oxicarbide Microspheres

doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2007.10.008

Title: Selection of Water-Dispersible Carbon Black for Fabrication of Uranium Oxicarbide Microspheres

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Abstract

Fabrication of uranium oxicarbide (UCO) microspheres, a component of TRISO fuel particles for high temperature nuclear power systems, is based on the internal gelation process of uranium salts in presence of carbon black. In order to obtain a high quality product, carbon black should remain dispersed during all phases of the gelation process. In this study, the surface and structural properties of several commercial carbon black materials, and their use in combination with ionic and non-ionic dispersing agents was examined with the goal of finding optimal conditions for stabilizing submicron-sized carbon black dispersions. Traditional methods for stabilizing dispersions, based on the use of dispersing agents, failed to stabilize carbon dispersions against large pH variations, typical for the internal gelation process. An alternate dispersing method was proposed, based on using surface-modified carbons functionalized with strongly ionizing surface groups (sodium sulfonate). With a proper choice of surface modifiers, these advanced carbons disperse easily to particles in the range of 0.15 V0.20 m and the dispersions remain stable during the conditions of internal gelation.

Authors:

Contescu, Cristian I ^[1]; Baker, Frederick S ^[1]; Hunt, Rodney Dale ^[1]; Collins, Jack Lee ^[1]; Burchell, Timothy D ^[1]

ORNL

Publication Date:: 2008-01-01

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); Work for Others (WFO)

OSTI Identifier:: 930889

DOE Contract Number:: DE-AC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Journal of Nuclear Materials

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 375; Journal Issue: 1

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: carbon black; uranium oxicarbide microspheres; dispersions; nuclear fuel

Citation Formats


                    Contescu, Cristian I, Baker, Frederick S, Hunt, Rodney Dale, Collins, Jack Lee, and Burchell, Timothy D. Selection of Water-Dispersible Carbon Black for Fabrication of Uranium Oxicarbide Microspheres.  United States: N. p., 2008. 
        Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2007.10.008.

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                    Contescu, Cristian I, Baker, Frederick S, Hunt, Rodney Dale, Collins, Jack Lee, & Burchell, Timothy D. Selection of Water-Dispersible Carbon Black for Fabrication of Uranium Oxicarbide Microspheres.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2007.10.008

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                    Contescu, Cristian I, Baker, Frederick S, Hunt, Rodney Dale, Collins, Jack Lee, and Burchell, Timothy D. Tue .  
        "Selection of Water-Dispersible Carbon Black for Fabrication of Uranium Oxicarbide Microspheres".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2007.10.008.

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@article{osti_930889,

  title        = {Selection of Water-Dispersible Carbon Black for Fabrication of Uranium Oxicarbide Microspheres},

  author       = {Contescu, Cristian I and Baker, Frederick S and Hunt, Rodney Dale and Collins, Jack Lee and Burchell, Timothy D},

  abstractNote = {Fabrication of uranium oxicarbide (UCO) microspheres, a component of TRISO fuel particles for high temperature nuclear power systems, is based on the internal gelation process of uranium salts in presence of carbon black. In order to obtain a high quality product, carbon black should remain dispersed during all phases of the gelation process. In this study, the surface and structural properties of several commercial carbon black materials, and their use in combination with ionic and non-ionic dispersing agents was examined with the goal of finding optimal conditions for stabilizing submicron-sized carbon black dispersions. Traditional methods for stabilizing dispersions, based on the use of dispersing agents, failed to stabilize carbon dispersions against large pH variations, typical for the internal gelation process. An alternate dispersing method was proposed, based on using surface-modified carbons functionalized with strongly ionizing surface groups (sodium sulfonate). With a proper choice of surface modifiers, these advanced carbons disperse easily to particles in the range of 0.15 V0.20 m and the dispersions remain stable during the conditions of internal gelation.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2007.10.008},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/930889},
  journal      = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},
number       = 1,

  volume       = 375,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2008},

  month        = {1}

}

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