Determination of the composition of the U3O8 phase from the decomposition of β-UO3

✍ Scribed by E.S. Ramakrishnan

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 274 KB
• Volume: 67
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0003-2670
• DOI: 10.1016/s0003-2670(01)80249-x

✦ Synopsis

It is knownI

that the U30, phase exhibits some oxygen deficiency at high temperatures, but the exact phase-boundary composition and other thermodynamic data are lacking2*5*6. A k nowledge of the exact composition of this phase in air is essential, because the simple oxidation of Urania phases in air to UJOs is used as a method for the determination of oxygen/uranium ratios'-'. The nonstoichiometry of the U30, phase @as been demonstrated4

by oxidizing Urania between 400 and 835". The present work was undertaken to establish whether these observed compositions represented equilibrium compositions or were the kinetically limiting compositions.

The UJ08 phase was produced by decomposing /?-UOJ in air at 650, 750 and 850" and the resultant product was analysed.