Gc. Jain et C. Ganguly, EVALUATION OF PHASES IN PU-C-O AND (U,PU)-C-O SYSTEMS BY X-RAY-DIFFRACTOMETRY AND CHEMICAL-ANALYSIS, Journal of nuclear materials, 207, 1993, pp. 169-176
Preparation and characterisation of the carbides of uranium, plutonium
and mixed uranium and plutonium form a part of advanced fuel developm
ent programs for fast breeder reactors. In the present study, the comp
ositions of the phases of Pu-C-O and (U,Pu)-C-O systems have been dete
rmined by chemical analysis and lattice parameter measurement. The car
bide samples have been prepared by vacuum carbothermic synthesis of ta
bletted oxide-graphite powder mixture. Dependence of stoichiometry of
Pu2C3 phase on the oxygen content of Pu(C,O) phase in Pu(C,O)+Pu2C3 ph
ase mixture has been evaluated. Stoichiometry and oxygen solubility of
(U0.3Pu0.7)(C,O) phase in multiple phase mixture have been determined
. Segregation of plutonium in (U,Pu)(2)C-3 phase of (U,Pu)(C,O)+(U,Pu)
(2)C-3 phase mixture and its dependence on the oxygen content of (U,Pu
)(C,O) phase have also been determined from the measurement of the lat
tice parameter of (U,Pu)(2)C-3 phase.