About this Abstract |
Meeting |
MS&T23: Materials Science & Technology
|
Symposium
|
Ceramics for New Generation Nuclear Energy System Application
|
Presentation Title |
Thermal Oxidation and Thermodynamics of Uranium Nitride and Uranium Carbide |
Author(s) |
Xiaofeng Guo, Vitaliy Goncharov, Juejing Liu, Sam Karcher, Emma Carlsen, John McCloy, Arjen van Veelen, Andrew Strzelecki, Hongwu Xu, Joshua White |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Xiaofeng Guo |
Abstract Scope |
Carbide and nitride matrices have received considerable attention as advanced nuclear fuel types. Both UC and UN have the advantages of high thermal conductivity, high melting point, and high fissile density. A fundamental understanding of the material chemistry and thermodynamic properties of uranium carbide and uranium nitride is critical for predicting their behavior under reactor or extreme conditions. In this work, we investigated (1) the local structures by X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure, (2) bulk thermal oxidations by TGA – DSC, and thermochemical reactions, including the enthalpy of oxidation and standard enthalpy of formation of several UN and UC related materials by high-temperature drop solution calorimetry. These updated understanding of UN and UC have two implications: (1) enable thermodynamic modeling and first-principle calculations of actinide and lanthanide containing carbide and nitride phases; and (2) a foundation for future studies on UC-, and UN-derived waste forms. |