An investigation of the reaction of metallic uranium with oxygen/nitrogen gas mixtures

Alisha J Cramer; Antonios  Banos; Simon Fung; Gareth Griffiths; Peter George  Martin; James Petherbridge; Thomas Bligh Scott

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154564

An investigation of the reaction of metallic uranium with oxygen/nitrogen gas mixtures

Alisha J Cramer^*, Antonios Banos, Simon Fung, Gareth Griffiths, Peter George Martin, James Petherbridge, Thomas Bligh Scott

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

The effects of variations in oxygen content as a mixed oxygen/nitrogen gas on the exothermic reaction of uranium were investigated in this work. Samples of metallic uranium with various specific surface areas and masses were reacted in a thermogravimetric analysis system at temperatures ranging between 323 K and 1273 K using gas mixtures 10%, 5%, 1%, or 0.5% oxygen in nitrogen. From the results it was concluded that the minimum oxygen content necessary for the onset of ignition is correlated to the specific surface area of the metallic uranium. The higher the specific surface area, the lower the percentage of oxygen is needed to trigger an ignition event. Within the experimental parameters evaluated here, ignition does not appear to occur for any specific surface area investigated below 1% oxygen content.

Original language	English
Article number	154564
Journal	Journal of Nuclear Materials
Volume	584
Early online date	7 Jun 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154564
Publication status	Published - 1 Oct 2023

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@article{2a81786e314f4270901de0012bbb8bd7,

title = "An investigation of the reaction of metallic uranium with oxygen/nitrogen gas mixtures",

abstract = "The effects of variations in oxygen content as a mixed oxygen/nitrogen gas on the exothermic reaction of uranium were investigated in this work. Samples of metallic uranium with various specific surface areas and masses were reacted in a thermogravimetric analysis system at temperatures ranging between 323 K and 1273 K using gas mixtures 10%, 5%, 1%, or 0.5% oxygen in nitrogen. From the results it was concluded that the minimum oxygen content necessary for the onset of ignition is correlated to the specific surface area of the metallic uranium. The higher the specific surface area, the lower the percentage of oxygen is needed to trigger an ignition event. Within the experimental parameters evaluated here, ignition does not appear to occur for any specific surface area investigated below 1% oxygen content.",

author = "Cramer, {Alisha J} and Antonios Banos and Simon Fung and Gareth Griffiths and Martin, {Peter George} and James Petherbridge and Scott, {Thomas Bligh}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023",

year = "2023",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154564",

language = "English",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - An investigation of the reaction of metallic uranium with oxygen/nitrogen gas mixtures

AU - Cramer, Alisha J

AU - Banos, Antonios

AU - Fung, Simon

AU - Griffiths, Gareth

AU - Martin, Peter George

AU - Petherbridge, James

AU - Scott , Thomas Bligh

PY - 2023/10/1

Y1 - 2023/10/1

N2 - The effects of variations in oxygen content as a mixed oxygen/nitrogen gas on the exothermic reaction of uranium were investigated in this work. Samples of metallic uranium with various specific surface areas and masses were reacted in a thermogravimetric analysis system at temperatures ranging between 323 K and 1273 K using gas mixtures 10%, 5%, 1%, or 0.5% oxygen in nitrogen. From the results it was concluded that the minimum oxygen content necessary for the onset of ignition is correlated to the specific surface area of the metallic uranium. The higher the specific surface area, the lower the percentage of oxygen is needed to trigger an ignition event. Within the experimental parameters evaluated here, ignition does not appear to occur for any specific surface area investigated below 1% oxygen content.

AB - The effects of variations in oxygen content as a mixed oxygen/nitrogen gas on the exothermic reaction of uranium were investigated in this work. Samples of metallic uranium with various specific surface areas and masses were reacted in a thermogravimetric analysis system at temperatures ranging between 323 K and 1273 K using gas mixtures 10%, 5%, 1%, or 0.5% oxygen in nitrogen. From the results it was concluded that the minimum oxygen content necessary for the onset of ignition is correlated to the specific surface area of the metallic uranium. The higher the specific surface area, the lower the percentage of oxygen is needed to trigger an ignition event. Within the experimental parameters evaluated here, ignition does not appear to occur for any specific surface area investigated below 1% oxygen content.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154564

DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154564

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

SN - 0022-3115

VL - 584

JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials

JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials

M1 - 154564

ER -

An investigation of the reaction of metallic uranium with oxygen/nitrogen gas mixtures

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