The Effect Of Irradiation On The Hydrolysis Of Uranium Carbides

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ISBN 13 :
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Download or read book The Effect of Irradiation on the Hydrolysis of Uranium Carbides. I. Preparation of Uranium Monocarbide Pellets for Irradiation written by and published by . This book was released on 1963 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The effect of irradiation on the hydrolytic behavior of uranium monocarbide as related to the aqueous chemical processing of these reactor fuels is being investigated. The fabrication, evaluation, and encapsulation of the UC in niobium prior to irradiation is described. Uranium monocarbide buttons were prepared by arc-melting 1.51%enriched uranium metal with the stoichiometric quantity of spectroscopic-grade carbon. The buttons were then remelted and drop- cast into graphite thimbles 3/8 in. dia, and 3 in. long. The cylindrical castings were surface ground and cut into 0.17 in.-thick pellets, which were then polished. Preirradiation evaluation included metallography, chemical analysis, and hydrolysis studies. Microstructures of the final pellets indicated that the monocarbide was nearly stoichiometric; however, some alpha -uranium was present along with carbon contamination from the graphite thimbles. The use of tungsten- tipped electrodes in the arc-melting operation introduced about 0.3% of tungsten impurity. The composition of the pellets, as estimated from hydrolysis studies and chemical analyses was 92% UC, 3.5% UC/sub 2/, 4.0% uranium metal, and 0.3% WC. The UC pellets were encapsulated in niobium and subsequently shrunk-fit into a stainless steel cladding. The capsules were sealed by heliarc welding in a helium atmosphere chamber. (auth).