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Reaction‐Rate Studies of Thorium‐Uranium Dicarbides in Moist Air
Author(s) -
ENGLE G. B.,
GOEDDEL W. V.,
LUBY C. S.
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1962.tb11102.x
Subject(s) - uranium , thorium , carbide , reaction rate constant , reaction rate , chemistry , hydrogen , materials science , radiochemistry , nuclear chemistry , inorganic chemistry , metallurgy , kinetics , catalysis , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics
A number of arc‐melted or sintered thorium or uranium carbides were reacted in moist air at 30° and 50° C. The initial reactions appeared to follow a simple linear rate law, the thorium‐containing carbides being about ten times more reactive than UC 2 . Initial rate constants at 50° C based on bulk particle surface area were 0.25 μg per cm 2 per second for UC 2 and 2.78 pg per cm 2 per second for ThC 2 . Rate constants for mixed, thorium and uranium carbides fell between these values. The reaction produced both gaseous and solid products. Solid reaction products consisted of thorium or uranium oxides and condensed hydrocarbons; the oxides could be hydrated. The gaseous products were principally aliphatic hydrocarbons and hydrogen.