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Title: Uranium metal reactions with hydrogen and water vapour and the reactivity of the uranium hydride produced

Abstract

Within the nuclear industry, metallic uranium has been used as a fuel. If this metal is stored in a hydrogen rich environment then the uranium metal can react with the hydrogen to form uranium hydride which can be pyrophoric when exposed to air. The UK National Nuclear Laboratory has been carrying out a programme of research for Sellafield Limited to investigate the conditions required for the formation and persistence of uranium hydride and the reactivity of the material formed. The experimental results presented here have described new results characterising uranium hydride formed from bulk uranium at 50 and 160 C. degrees and measurements of the hydrolysis kinetics of these materials in liquid water. It has been shown that there is an increase in the proportion of alpha-uranium hydride in material formed at lower temperatures and that there is an increase in the rate of reaction with water of uranium hydride formed at lower temperatures. This may at least in part be attributable to a difference in the reaction rate between alpha and beta-uranium hydride. A striking observation is the strong dependence of the hydrolysis reaction rate on the temperature of preparation of the uranium hydride. For example, the reaction ratemore » of uranium hydride prepared at 50 C. degrees was over ten times higher than that prepared at 160 C. degrees at 20% extent of reaction. The decrease in reaction rate with the extent of reaction also depended on the temperature of uranium hydride preparation.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ; ; ;  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. National Nuclear Laboratory, Workington Laboratory, Havelock Road, Derwent Howe, Cumbria, CA14 3YQ (United Kingdom)
  2. National Nuclear Laboratory, Preston Laboratory, Springfields, Salwick, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 0XJ (United Kingdom)
  3. Sellafield Limited, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1PG (United Kingdom)
  4. National Nuclear Laboratory, Central Laboratory, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1PG (United Kingdom)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
22264200
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: GLOBAL 2013: International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference - Nuclear Energy at a Crossroads, Salt Lake City, UT (United States), 29 Sep - 3 Oct 2013; Other Information: Country of input: France; 18 refs.; Related Information: In: Proceedings of GLOBAL 2013: International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference - Nuclear Energy at a Crossroads| 1633 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; HYDROGEN; HYDROLYSIS; NUCLEAR FUELS; NUCLEAR INDUSTRY; REACTION KINETICS; REACTIVITY; URANIUM; URANIUM HYDRIDES; WATER VAPOR

Citation Formats

Godfrey, H., Broan, C., Goddard, D., Hodge, N., Woodhouse, G., Diggle, A., and Orr, R. Uranium metal reactions with hydrogen and water vapour and the reactivity of the uranium hydride produced. United States: N. p., 2013. Web.
Godfrey, H., Broan, C., Goddard, D., Hodge, N., Woodhouse, G., Diggle, A., & Orr, R. Uranium metal reactions with hydrogen and water vapour and the reactivity of the uranium hydride produced. United States.
Godfrey, H., Broan, C., Goddard, D., Hodge, N., Woodhouse, G., Diggle, A., and Orr, R. 2013. "Uranium metal reactions with hydrogen and water vapour and the reactivity of the uranium hydride produced". United States.
@article{osti_22264200,
title = {Uranium metal reactions with hydrogen and water vapour and the reactivity of the uranium hydride produced},
author = {Godfrey, H. and Broan, C. and Goddard, D. and Hodge, N. and Woodhouse, G. and Diggle, A. and Orr, R.},
abstractNote = {Within the nuclear industry, metallic uranium has been used as a fuel. If this metal is stored in a hydrogen rich environment then the uranium metal can react with the hydrogen to form uranium hydride which can be pyrophoric when exposed to air. The UK National Nuclear Laboratory has been carrying out a programme of research for Sellafield Limited to investigate the conditions required for the formation and persistence of uranium hydride and the reactivity of the material formed. The experimental results presented here have described new results characterising uranium hydride formed from bulk uranium at 50 and 160 C. degrees and measurements of the hydrolysis kinetics of these materials in liquid water. It has been shown that there is an increase in the proportion of alpha-uranium hydride in material formed at lower temperatures and that there is an increase in the rate of reaction with water of uranium hydride formed at lower temperatures. This may at least in part be attributable to a difference in the reaction rate between alpha and beta-uranium hydride. A striking observation is the strong dependence of the hydrolysis reaction rate on the temperature of preparation of the uranium hydride. For example, the reaction rate of uranium hydride prepared at 50 C. degrees was over ten times higher than that prepared at 160 C. degrees at 20% extent of reaction. The decrease in reaction rate with the extent of reaction also depended on the temperature of uranium hydride preparation.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22264200}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}

Conference:
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