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At least 55 records · Page 3

Thermodynamic Properties of Uranium-Zirconium Carbide Solid Solutions with Oxygen

Uranium-zirconium carbide solid solutions are potential candidates for fuel in space nuclear reactors. To support development of advanced robust fuels for space applications, (U y Zr 1-y )C x O z solid solutions were synthesized via carbothermic reduction with uranium, carbon, and oxygen contents raging from y=0.05 – 0.3, x=0.95 – 0.98, and z = 0.02 – 0.07. These solid solutions were subsequently characterized by X-ray diffraction and elemental combustion analysis. High-temperature oxidative drop solution calorimetry in molten sodium molybdate solvent at 1073 K was employed to determine the formation, oxidation, and mixing enthalpies of (U y Zr 1-y )C x O z solid solutions, and thereby for evaluating their thermodynamic stability. The solid solutions are enthalpically less stable than the UC and ZrC end members. They also become less stable and more reactive towards oxidation with increasing uranium content. Incorporation of oxygen into solid solutions increases their solid solution-stability and improves their oxidation resistance.

Calorimetry↗

Superconductivity in zirconium-rhodium alloys

Metallographic studies and transition temperature measurements were made with isothermally annealed and water-quenched zirconium-rhodium alloys. The results clarify both the solid-state phase relations at the Zr-rich end of the Zr-Rh alloy system and the influence upon the superconducting transition temperature of structure and composition.

Zegler, S. T.↗

Gadolinium-hydrogen ion exchange of zirconium phosphate

The Gd(+3)/H(+) ion exchange on a commercial zirconium phosphate ion exchanger was investigated in chloride, sulfate, and phosphate solutions of Gd(+3) at gadolinium concentrations of 0.001 to 1 millimole per cc and in the pH range of 0 to 3.5. Relatively low Gd(+3) capacities, in the range of 0.01 to 0.1 millimole per g of ion exchanger were found at room temperature. A significant difference in Gd(+3) sorption was observed, depending on whether the ion exchanger was converted from initial conditions of greater or lesser Gd(+3) sorption than the specific final conditions. Correlations were found between decrease in Gd(+3) capacity and loss of exchanger phosphate groups due to hydrolysis during washing and between increase in capacity and treatment with H3PO4. Fitting of the experimental data to ideal ion exchange equilibrium expressions indicated that each Gd(+3) ion is sorbed on only one site of the ion exchanger. The selectivity quotient was determined to be 2.5 + or - 0.4 at room temperature on gadolinium desorption in chloride solutions.

Liu, D. C.↗

Short-time oxidation of zirconium.

Study of zirconium oxidation kinetics for maximum exposure times of 3 min and in the temperature range 440 to 850 C. 'Discontinuous' oxidation runs were employed whereby a specimen was inserted into the gas stream for a predetermined time, removed and weighed, and reinserted into the oxidation atmosphere. It is considered that the increase in the observed activation energy for the early stage parabolic oxidation is a manifestation of a change from an n-type oxide to a predominantly p-type oxide, in agreement with the authors' earlier conclusion (1971) based on pressure effects.

Srivastava, L. P.↗

Zirconium Hydride Space Power Reactor design.

The Zirconium Hydride Space Power Reactor being designed and fabricated at Atomics International is intended for a wide range of potential applications. Throughout the program a series of reactor designs have been evaluated to establish the unique requirements imposed by coupling with various power conversion systems and for specific applications. Current design and development emphasis is upon a 100 kilowatt thermal reactor for application in a 5 kwe thermoelectric space power generating system, which is scheduled to be fabricated and ground tested in the mid 70s. The reactor design considerations reviewed in this paper will be discussed in the context of this 100 kwt reactor and a 300 kwt reactor previously designed for larger power demand applications.

Asquith, J. G.↗

High temperature, low cycle fatigue of copper-base alloys in argon. Part 3: Zirconium-copper; thermal-mechanical strain cycling, hold-time and notch fatigue results

The low-cycle fatigue characteristics of smooth bar and notched bar specimens (hourglass shape) of zirconium-copper, 1/2 Hard, material (R-2 Series) were evaluated at room temperature in axial strain control. Over the fatigue life range from about 300 to 3000 cycles the ratio of fatigue life for smooth bar to fatigue life for notched bar remained constant at a value of about 6.0. Some additional hold-time data for the R-2 alloy tested in argon at 538 C are reported. An analysis of the relaxation data obtained in these hold-time tests is also reported and it is shown that these data yield a fairly consistent correlation in terms of instantaneous stress rate divided by instantaneous stress. Two thermal-mechanical strain cycling tests were also performed using a cyclic frequency of 4.5 cycles per hour and a temperature cycling interval from 260 to 538 C. The fatigue life values in these tests were noticeably lower than that observed in isothermal tests at 538 C.

Conway, J. B.↗

An exploratory study of a zirconium-modified, precipitation-strengthened nickel-30 copper alloy

A precipitation-strengthened alloy has been produced through minor additions of zirconium to a base Ni-30Cu alloy. The results of this exploratory study indicate that thermomechanical processing of a solution-treated Ni-30Cu-0.2Zr alloy produced a dispersion of precipitates. The precipitates have been tentatively identified as a Ni5Zr compound. Comparison of the mechanical properties, as determined by testing in air, of the Zr-modified alloy to those of a Ni-30Cu alloy reveals that the precipitation-strengthened alloy has improved tensile properties to 1200 K and improved stress-rupture properties to 1100 K. The oxidation characteristics of the modified alloy appeared to be equivalent to those of the base Ni-30Cu alloy.

Whittenberger, J. D.↗

Plastic deformation of polycrystalline zirconium carbide

The compressive yield strength of arc-melted polycrystalline zirconium carbide has been found to vary from 77 kg per sq mm at 1200 C to 19 kg per sq mm at 1800 C. Yield drops were observed with plastic strain-rates greater than 0.003/sec but not with slower strain rates. Strain-rate change experiments yielded values for the strain-rate sensitivity parameter m which range from 6.5 at 1500 C to 3.8 at 1800 C, and the product dislocation velocity stress exponent times T was found to decrease linearly with increasing temperature. The deformation rate results are consistent with the Kelly-Rowcliffe model in which the diffusion of carbon assists the motion of dislocations.

Darolia, R.↗