Fabrication of uranium nitride
AssigneeTriad National Security, LLC
InventorAdam Parkison
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of producing uranium nitride (e.g., uranium mononitride) and/or uranium-containing intermediates that can be used to further produce uranium nitride includes reacting a reaction mixture comprising uranium carbide with a gas comprising hydrogen and nitrogen, cooling the reaction mixture to a temperature suitable to produce a phase comprising U2N3, and heating the reaction mixture to a temperature suitable to convert the phase comprising U2N3 to a phase comprising UN. The method produces highly purified UN, is insensitive to excess carbon reactants, and can be readily integrated into existing uranium production facilities as part of a continuous process.
Claims9
A method of producing uranium nitride (UN), the method comprising:
- reacting a reaction mixture comprising uranium carbide with a gas comprising hydrogen and nitrogen;
- cooling the reaction mixture to a temperature below a phase transition temperature between a phase comprising UN and a phase comprising U2N3, wherein such temperature ranging from 1352° C. to 1132° C., to thereby produce a phase comprising U2N3;
- and
- heating the reaction mixture to a temperature above the phase transition temperature between the phase comprising UN and the phase comprising U2N3, wherein such temperature is greater than 1352° C., to thereby convert the phase comprising U2N3 to the phase comprising UN.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.