On the Formation of UC1-xOx
Shingo NAMBA, Shosuke IMOTO, Tadao SANO · Journal of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan / Atomic Energy Society of Japan · 1961
From thermodynamical study, it was inferred that any stable ternary compound in the region U-UC-UO2 will be in equillibrium with CO gas of 10-310-4mmHg at 1, 600°C, if it exists. Mixed powder compact of UO2 and UC having a ratio of 03 to 1 as well as that of UO2 and UC2 of 1/33 to 1 (ratio of UO2 to UC2) were heated at 1, 600°C for 4 hr in vacuum of 10-4mmHg. The phases after the reaction were identified and quantitatively determined by X ray diffractographic techniques, which showed that the amount of UO2 was much decreased and that of a UC-like phase having a slightly smaller parameter than UC was increased. This latter phase was considered to be UC1-xOx, and the x was calculated from the ratios of UO2 to UC1-xOx before and after the reaction. The values of x was also determined by chemical analysis of carbon and nitrogen, which was nearly equal to the value of x from the X ray analysis. The largest value of x was 0.83 and was obtained by the reaction of a compact of UO2 and UC of 3 to 1 ratio. The lattice parameter of this UC1-xOx was measured to be 4.944 Å and its theoretical density was calculated to be 13.91.