Transactions of the INDIAN CERAMIC SOCIETY Vol. 37 1978
Preparation and Sintering of Oxide Reduced and
Arc Melted Uranium-Plutonium Carbides*
B. D. ZOPE
Pages : 1-7
DOI : 10.1080/0371750X.1978.10840662
Abstract
A solid solution of uranium-plutonium carbide with less
than 0.1% oxygen content was prepared by carbothermic
reduction of mixed oxides U02 and Pu02 at 1700°C for
3 hours in vacuum. The carbides reduced in argon had
higher oxygen content than those prepared in vacuum. It
was found that the amount of sesquicarbide formed remained
the same for carbon contents varying from 42.7 to
56.5 atomic% in vacuum reductions. However, single phase
(U,Pu)C could be obtained with 47 atomic% carbon at
1700°C, and with stoichiometric amount of carbon at
1800°C. The lattice parameter varied from 4.9546A to
4.9657 A depending on the conditions of reduction and
composition. The plutonium loss during reduction was
around 0.6 %, while it was higher for the composition with
42.7 atomic% carbon. The pellets made from oxide reduced
and arc melted carbide powders ( < 44 micron size)
were sintered to 80-83% theoretical density at 1750°C.
The same degree of densification could be attained at
1500°C with 5-10 micron size powders.
