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Title: CERAMICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OPERATION QUARTERLY REPORT, OCTOBER- DECEMBER 1962

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4712412· OSTI ID:4712412

CERAMICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OPERATION QUARTERLY REPORT, OCTOBERDECEMBER 1962. Pu/sub 2/S/sub 3/ melted congruently at 1725 450 deg C in a 10 un. Concent 85% C under vacuum or argon and was stable to 2300 un. Concent 85% C in argon. Pu/sub 2/S/sub 3/ was not attacked by boiling, demineralized water. PuN melted congruently at 2750 450 deg C in a 75 un. Concent 85% C under nitrogen (1 atm), but dissociated at 2600 un. Concent 85% under argon or helium. Plutonium carbides and oxides of various compositions were formed by inert gas sintering of pressed mixtures of PuO/sub 2/ and graphite powder. Spontaneous lattice expansion of PuC at about 0.02% per month occurred over periods extending to 15 months, with no apparent saturation. PuO/sub 2/ and MgO were immiscible in all proportions and form no compounds stable at room temperature. ThO/sub 2/ was soluble in UO/sub 2/ in all proportions, although the solution was not ideal as shown by minima in both melting point versus composition and lattice parameter versus composition curves. Small additions of PuO/sub 2/ enhanced the sinterability of ThO/sub 2/. Melting points of (Th,Pu)O/ sub 2/ solid soiutions were constant below 25 wt% ThO/sub 2/. Lattice parameters of the solid solution obeyed Vegard's law. A series of tungsten-UO/ sub 2/ cermets was fabricated by high-energy-rate impaction. The tungsten matrix was uniform and continuous at UO/sub 2/ concentrations as great as 50 wt%. A 50 wt% uranium mononitridetungsten cermet was fabricated by impaction. The impacted density, 16.3 g/cm/sup 3/, was 99.0% of the theoretical density. Uranium monosulfide impacted to 99.0% TD showed improvements in physical properties over sintered US. A UO/sub 2/--50 wt % cermet was examined at temperatures to 1500 un. Concent 85% C by reflection electron microscopy. The effects of series of photomicrographs.

Research Organization:
General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Wash.
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AT(45-1)-1350
NSA Number:
NSA-17-023866
OSTI ID:
4712412
Report Number(s):
HW-76300
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-63
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English