Chemical reactivity of CVC and CVD SiC with UO₂ at high temperatures

Journal Article · Wed Feb 11 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.02.002· OSTI ID:1185795

Silva, Chinthaka M. ^[1]; Katoh, Yutai ^[1]; Voit, Stewart L. ^[1]; Snead, Lance L. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Two types of silicon carbide (SiC) synthesized using two different vapor deposition processes were embedded in UO₂ pellets and evaluated for their potential chemical reaction with UO₂. While minor reactivity between chemical-vapor-composited (CVC) SiC and UO₂ was observed at comparatively low temperatures of 1100 and 1300 C, chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) SiC did not show any such reactivity, according to microstructural investigations. But, both CVD and CVC SiCs showed some reaction with UO₂ at a higher temperature (1500 C). Elemental maps supported by phase maps obtained using electron backscatter diffraction indicated that CVC SiC was more reactive than CVD SiC at 1500 C. Moreover, this investigation indicated the formation of uranium carbides and uranium silicide chemical phases such as UC, USi₂, and U₃Si₂ as a result of SiC reaction with UO₂.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1185795
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1252363
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 460, Issue C; ISSN 0022-3115
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Uranium dioxide
CVC SiC