Abstract
The difficulties encountered in conventional sintering of uranium monocarbide impose serious economic restrictions on the use of this potentially important nuclear fuel. At the high temperatures ordinarily used for sintering, chemical control of the carbide is ineffective and the resultant density is not attractively high. Sintering aids alleviate these difficulties, but any microconstituents resulting from the additive should be eliminated to avoid adverse effects in service.
Three processes have been developed using different sintering aids to consolidate high-purity uranium monocarbide powders below 1600°C to compacts having densities ranging from 95 to greater than 97% of theoretical. Our additives were 7.5% UAl2, 0.75% UBe13, and 0.75% U3Si2; during sintering they were eliminated by either evaporation or dissolution into the carbide. The U3Si2 process holds the greatest promise, since it showed near insensitivity to variations in charge-carbon content and proved highly effective even for UO2-derived carbide powder that has a high oxygen content.
To aid interpretation of the sintering mechanisms, we determined pertinent pseudobinary phase diagrams and derived tentative ternary isotherms at the sintering temperatures. An important feature of these processes was an initial stage in which reactive metal vapor issued from the additive and promoted substantial shrinkage. When highest densities were obtained, this stage was generally followed by liquid-phase sintering. Single-phase compacts were ultimately achieved by either dissolution within the matrix or carburization of the residual constituent.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Nichols, R. W., “Ceramic Fuels—Properties and Technology,” Nucl. Eng. 3: 324 (1958).
Kalish, H. S., and F. B. Litton, “Powder Metallurgy Fabrication of Uranium Carbide,” American Society for Metals—Atomic Energy Commission Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 17, 1960.
Korchynsky, M., Powder Metallurgy of Uranium Carbide, Metals Research Laboratories Report, Union Carbide Metals Company, Niagara Falls, New York (April, 1961).
Speidel, E. O., Reactor Materials 6(1): 46 (February 1963).
Taylor, K. M., C. H. McMurtry, and J. C. Anderson, “Sintering Characteristics of UC and (U, Pu)C with and without Small Additions of Nickel,” Symposium on Carbides in Nuclear Energy, Harwell, England, Nov. 5–7, 1963, The Macmillan Company (London), 1964.
Harder, B. R., and R. G. Sowden, “Vacuum Sintering of Uranium-Plutonium Carbide,” Symposium on Carbides in Nuclear Energy, Harwell, England, Nov. 5–7, 1963, The Macmillan Company (London), 1964.
McLaren, J. R., M. C. Regan, and H. J. Hedger, “Sintering Behavior of Uranium Carbide,” Symposium on Carbides in Nuclear Energy, Harwell, England, Nov. 5–7, 1963, The Macmillan Company (London), 1964.
Hammond, J. P., J. D. Sease, and C. Hamby Jr., “Uranium Carbide Fabrication with UAl2 as Sintering Aid,” 4th Uranium Carbide Conference, East Hartford, Connecticut, May 20–21, 1963, TID-7676 (1964), pp. 145–153.
Hammond, J. P., and G. M. Adamson Jr., “Fabrication of Uranium Monocarbide with a Volatile Sintering Temperature Depressant,” Symposium on Carbides in Nuclear Energy, Harwell, England, Nov. 5–7, 1963, The Macmillan Company (London), 1964.
Bourgette, D. T., Preparation of Stoichiometric Uranium Monocarbide Cylinders, ORNL-TM-309 (Oct. 4, 1962).
Taylor, K. M., and T. H. McMurtry, Summary Report, Synthesis and Fabrication of Refractory Uranium Compounds, ORO-400 (February 1961).
Hodgman, G D., et al., Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 44th ed., The Chemical Rubber Publishing Co. (Cleveland), 1962.
Mallett, M. W., A. F. Gerds, and H. R. Nelson, “The Uranium-Carbon System,” J. Electrochem. Soc. 99: 197 (1952).
Gordon, P., and A. R. Kaufmann, “Uranium-Aluminum and Uranium-Iron,” J. Metals 2: 182 (1950).
Magnier, P., and A. Accary, “The Solubility of Uranium in Uranium Monocarbide,” Symposium on Carbides in Nuclear Energy, Harwell, England, Nov. 5–7, 1963, The Macmillan Company (London), 1964.
Accary, A., private communication to J. P. Hammond, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, August 17, 1964.
Potter, P. E., “The Effect of Oxygen on the Sintering of UC and (U0.85Pu0 15)C,” Symposium on Carbides in Nuclear Energy, Harwell, England, Nov. 5–7, 1963, The Macmillan Company (London), 1964.
Brett, N. B., et al., “The Substitutional Solubility of Oxygen in U-C, (U0.85Pu0.15)-C, and PuC,” Symposium on Carbides in Nuclear Energy, Harwell, England, Nov. 5–7, 1963, The Macmillan Company (London), 1964.
Rough, F. A., and A. A. Bauer, Constitution of Uranium and Thorium Alloys, BMI-1300 (June 2, 1958).
Burdick, M. D., H. S. Parker, R. S. Roth, and E. L. McGandy, “An X-Ray Study of the System: UC, UC2, Be2C,” J. Res. Natl. Bur. Std. 54: 217–229 (April 1955).
Ivanov, O. S., and T. A. Badajeva, “Phase Diagrams of Certain Uranium and Thorium Systems,” Proc. Intern. Conf. Peaceful Uses At. Energy, 2nd, Geneva, Sept. 1–13, 1958, Vol. 6, pp. 561–563.
Boettcher, A., and G. Schneider, “Some Properties of Uranium Monocarbide,” Proc. Intern. Conf. Peaceful Uses At. Energy, 2nd, Geneva, Sept. 1–13, 1958, Vol. 6, pp. 561–563.
Kaufmann, A., B. Cullity, and G. Bitsianes, “Uranium-Silicon Alloys,” J. Metals 9(1): 23–27 (Jan. 1957).
Glassner, A., The Thermochemical Properties of Oxides, Fluorides, and Chlorides to 2,500° K, ANL-5750 (1957).
Peterson, S., and R. G. Wymer, Chemistry in Nuclear Technology, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc. (Reading, Mass.), 1963, p. 134.
Lenel, F. V., “Sintering in the Presence of a Liquid Phase,” Trans. Met. Soc. AIME 175: 878 (1948).
Gurland, J., and J. T. Norton, “Role of the Binder Phase in Cemented Tungsten Carbide-Cobalt Alloys,” J. Metals 4: 1051 (1952).
Cannon, H. S., and F. V. Lenel, “Some Observations on the Mechanism of Liquid-Phase Sintering,” Plansee Proc. 1st Seminar, Reutte/Tyrol, 1952, Metallwerk Plansee AG. (Reutte/Tyrol, Austria), 1953, p. 106.
Kingery, W. D., “Densification During Sintering in the Presence of a Liquid Phase. I. Theory,” J. Appl. Phys. 30: 301 (1959).
Smith, G. V., R. G. Smith, and A. G. Thomas, “Study of Phase Relationships in the Uranium/Silicon/Carbon System,” Symposium on Carbides in Nuclear Energy, Harwell, England, Nov. 5–7, 1963, The Macmillan Company (London), 1964.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1966 Metal Powder Industries Federation and The Metallurgical Society of AIME
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hammond, J.P., Adamson, G.M. (1966). Activated Sintering of Uranium Monocarbide. In: Hausner, H.H. (eds) Modern Developments in Powder Metallurgy. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7712-2_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7712-2_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-7714-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-7712-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive