Fabrication of ThN Using a Carbothermic Reduction to Nitridation Process
Abstract
A carbothermic reduction to nitridation process was developed which is capable of producing high-purity thorium mononitride (ThN) in bulk quantities. This was accomplished through study of three distinct processing routes using thermogravimetric analysis. The information gathered was then used to guide development of a draft process, which was tested within a tungsten production furnace. Scaling issues were identified and corrected following the draft process. Finally, a partitioned process was developed in response to the draft process which separates the reduction from the nitridation and carbon cleanup steps. This partitioned process was demonstrated to be capable of producing phase-pure ThN, with oxygen and carbon impurities of 990 ± 130 wppm and 240 ± 30 wppm, respectively.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Nuclear Science and Security Consortium
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1498040
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1400789; OSTI ID: 1407979
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-16-20326
Journal ID: ISSN 0002-7820
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 89233218CNA000001; NA0003180
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of the American Ceramic Society
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 99; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 0002-7820
- Publisher:
- American Ceramic Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; nitridation; nitrides; reduction; thermal treatment; thermogravimetry; carbothermic
Citation Formats
Parkison, Adam J., Nelson, Andrew Thomas, and Parker, Stephen S. Fabrication of ThN Using a Carbothermic Reduction to Nitridation Process. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1111/jace.14453.
Parkison, Adam J., Nelson, Andrew Thomas, & Parker, Stephen S. Fabrication of ThN Using a Carbothermic Reduction to Nitridation Process. United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.14453
Parkison, Adam J., Nelson, Andrew Thomas, and Parker, Stephen S. Mon .
"Fabrication of ThN Using a Carbothermic Reduction to Nitridation Process". United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.14453. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1498040.
@article{osti_1498040,
title = {Fabrication of ThN Using a Carbothermic Reduction to Nitridation Process},
author = {Parkison, Adam J. and Nelson, Andrew Thomas and Parker, Stephen S.},
abstractNote = {A carbothermic reduction to nitridation process was developed which is capable of producing high-purity thorium mononitride (ThN) in bulk quantities. This was accomplished through study of three distinct processing routes using thermogravimetric analysis. The information gathered was then used to guide development of a draft process, which was tested within a tungsten production furnace. Scaling issues were identified and corrected following the draft process. Finally, a partitioned process was developed in response to the draft process which separates the reduction from the nitridation and carbon cleanup steps. This partitioned process was demonstrated to be capable of producing phase-pure ThN, with oxygen and carbon impurities of 990 ± 130 wppm and 240 ± 30 wppm, respectively.},
doi = {10.1111/jace.14453},
journal = {Journal of the American Ceramic Society},
number = 12,
volume = 99,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 12 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Mon Sep 12 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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Cited by: 4 works
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Figures / Tables:
Figure 1: Schematic of the three processing routes studied here.
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Works referenced in this record:
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Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.