THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES AND MULTIPHASE DIFFUSION PATHS OF THE TERNARY-SYSTEM U-ZR-N

Recent studies of the nuclear transmutation of actinide wastes have re vived a general interest in actinide alloys and nitrides. The thermody namic properties of U-Zr-N alloys are described with a sublattice form alism. The calculated equilibria in the ternary system were compared w ith recent experiments on the reactions of U-Zr alloys with nitrogen. Multiphase diffusion paths in the reactions were readily explained by a stability diagram calculated with the present model. It was also sho wn that the previous models of U-Zr and Zr-N alloys are consistent wit h each other and that the thermodynamic properties of U-Zr alloys at a bout 1000 K, experimental data on which have been lacking, are reasona bly represented by the model.