US2875041A - Method of making alloys of beryllium with plutonium and the like - Google Patents
Method of making alloys of beryllium with plutonium and the like Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US2875041A US2875041A US480591A US48059155A US2875041A US 2875041 A US2875041 A US 2875041A US 480591 A US480591 A US 480591A US 48059155 A US48059155 A US 48059155A US 2875041 A US2875041 A US 2875041A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- beryllium
- plutonium
- fluoride
- alloy
- halide
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
- 229910052778 Plutonium Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims description 11
- OYEHPCDNVJXUIW-UHFFFAOYSA-N plutonium atom Chemical compound [Pu] OYEHPCDNVJXUIW-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims description 11
- 229910000952 Be alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims description 8
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 title description 2
- ATBAMAFKBVZNFJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N beryllium atom Chemical compound [Be] ATBAMAFKBVZNFJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 17
- 229910052790 beryllium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 15
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 11
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 11
- 150000004820 halides Chemical class 0.000 claims description 9
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 15
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 description 15
- JFALSRSLKYAFGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N uranium(0) Chemical compound [U] JFALSRSLKYAFGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 6
- 229910052770 Uranium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- KRHYYFGTRYWZRS-UHFFFAOYSA-M Fluoride anion Chemical compound [F-] KRHYYFGTRYWZRS-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 4
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 4
- MUBZPKHOEPUJKR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Oxalic acid Chemical compound OC(=O)C(O)=O MUBZPKHOEPUJKR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 238000005275 alloying Methods 0.000 description 3
- JZKFIPKXQBZXMW-UHFFFAOYSA-L beryllium difluoride Chemical compound F[Be]F JZKFIPKXQBZXMW-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 description 3
- 229910001633 beryllium fluoride Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- -1 halide salt Chemical class 0.000 description 3
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 description 3
- USCBBUFEOOSGAJ-UHFFFAOYSA-J tetrafluoroplutonium Chemical compound F[Pu](F)(F)F USCBBUFEOOSGAJ-UHFFFAOYSA-J 0.000 description 3
- FRWYFWZENXDZMU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-iodoquinoline Chemical compound C1=CC=CC2=NC(I)=CC=C21 FRWYFWZENXDZMU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- ZSLUVFAKFWKJRC-IGMARMGPSA-N 232Th Chemical compound [232Th] ZSLUVFAKFWKJRC-IGMARMGPSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052695 Americium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910052685 Curium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910052767 actinium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- QQINRWTZWGJFDB-UHFFFAOYSA-N actinium atom Chemical compound [Ac] QQINRWTZWGJFDB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- LXQXZNRPTYVCNG-UHFFFAOYSA-N americium atom Chemical compound [Am] LXQXZNRPTYVCNG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- LTPBRCUWZOMYOC-UHFFFAOYSA-N beryllium oxide Inorganic materials O=[Be] LTPBRCUWZOMYOC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000000843 powder Substances 0.000 description 2
- SANRKQGLYCLAFE-UHFFFAOYSA-H uranium hexafluoride Chemical compound F[U](F)(F)(F)(F)F SANRKQGLYCLAFE-UHFFFAOYSA-H 0.000 description 2
- 238000005303 weighing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910052684 Cerium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- KRHYYFGTRYWZRS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Fluorane Chemical compound F KRHYYFGTRYWZRS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910001264 Th alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052776 Thorium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910000711 U alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- YLPPHTRRAUTERD-UHFFFAOYSA-N [Ac].[U] Chemical compound [Ac].[U] YLPPHTRRAUTERD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- WETWJCDKMRHUPV-UHFFFAOYSA-N acetyl chloride Chemical compound CC(Cl)=O WETWJCDKMRHUPV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- GWXLDORMOJMVQZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N cerium Chemical compound [Ce] GWXLDORMOJMVQZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 150000002222 fluorine compounds Chemical group 0.000 description 1
- 229910001385 heavy metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910000040 hydrogen fluoride Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N mercury Chemical compound [Hg] QSHDDOUJBYECFT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052753 mercury Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000005309 metal halides Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 235000006408 oxalic acid Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000002893 slag Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005292 vacuum distillation Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22C—ALLOYS
- C22C43/00—Alloys containing radioactive materials
Definitions
- This invention relates to the production of alloys of beryllium with one or more of the metals uranium, plutonium, actinium, americium, curium, thorium and cerium. r
- a halide salt of the metal to be alloyed with the beryllium is heated in the presence of berryllium, to reduce the halide to metal and cause the latter to alloy directly with the beryllium.
- the heavy metal halides are more stable, thermodynamically, than the beryllium halides, the reducing reaction proceeds to completion it the berryllium halide product is continuously removed by vacuum distillation.
- the resulting alloy is, therefore, free of fluoride
- the pressure during the reaction ispreferably maintained at about 10 5 mm. Hg, although other vacuum conditions may be employed.
- the mass is heated to a temperature of 1000 C. to 1350" C. to insure reduction of the halide of the alloying metal. In each case suflicient beryllium is used to complete the'reduction and yet leave the desired amount of beryllium to be'alloyed with the reduced halide metal.
- plutonium-beryllium alloys 142 mg. of powdered plutonium fluoride PuF was mixed with 64 mg. of beryllium metal powder, and was placed in a berryllium oxide crucible. The-charge was heated in vacuum at 1150 C. for 1 hour to reduce the plutonium fluoride with the beryllium to distill the beryllium fluoride BeF formed, and to alloy the plutonium with the beryllium. ,Since this alloy did not fuse below 1500 C., it was hard sintered by raising the temperature to 1350 C. for fifteen minutes. The resulting alloy was crystalline, weighing 154 mg. and containing 70% plutonium. The plutonium yield in the reduction, therefore, was 94%.
- uranium-berryllium alloys 56.5 mg. of powdered uranium fluoride UF, was mixed with 24.2 mg. of beryllium metal powder and placed in a beryllium oxide crucible. The charge was heated in vacuum at.l200 C. for minutes to reduce the uranium fluoride with beryllium, to distill the beryllium fluoride BeF formed and to alloy the uranium with the beryllium.
- the resulting alloy had melted and formed a, small sphere in the bottom of the crucible.
- the heat treatment about 50% of the Ra distilled from the crucible but returned to the alloy with a half-life of 11.2 days.
- Alloys thus prepared of beryllium with plutonium, actinium, americium and/ or curium are useful as neutron source materials. As these metals are normally available in small quantities and are relatively ditficult to handle this method is particularly well adapted to providing such alloys.
- alloying metals may be incorporated in the berryllium to produce, for example, an alloy of beryllium, uranium and thorium.
- the fluoride of the alloying metal is the preferred halide.
- a method of producing alloys of beryllium with plutonium which comprises mixing halide of plutonium with beryllium and heating the mass at 1000" C. to 1350 C. in vacuum to reduce the halide and alloy the reduced metal with beryllium.
- a method of producing a plutonium-beryllium alloy which comprises mixing plutonium fluoride with beryllium metal, heating the mass in vacuum at about 1150 C. to reduce the fluoride and alloythe metals and removing the volatile beryllium fluoride formed.
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Inorganic Compounds Of Heavy Metals (AREA)
Description
slag.
United States Patent lVIETHOD OF MAKING ALLOYS 0F BERYLLIUM WITH PLUTONIUM AND THE LIKE Oliver J. 'C. Runnalls, Deep River, Ontario, Canada, as-
signor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission No Drawing. Application January 7, 1955 7 Serial No. 480,591
4 Claims. (Cl. 75-1223) This invention relates to the production of alloys of beryllium with one or more of the metals uranium, plutonium, actinium, americium, curium, thorium and cerium. r
In accordance with the method of the invention a halide salt of the metal to be alloyed with the beryllium is heated in the presence of berryllium, to reduce the halide to metal and cause the latter to alloy directly with the beryllium. Although the heavy metal halides are more stable, thermodynamically, than the beryllium halides, the reducing reaction proceeds to completion it the berryllium halide product is continuously removed by vacuum distillation. The resulting alloy is, therefore, free of fluoride The pressure during the reaction ispreferably maintained at about 10 5 mm. Hg, although other vacuum conditions may be employed. The mass is heated to a temperature of 1000 C. to 1350" C. to insure reduction of the halide of the alloying metal. In each case suflicient beryllium is used to complete the'reduction and yet leave the desired amount of beryllium to be'alloyed with the reduced halide metal.
The following examples are illustrative of the operation:
1. Preparation of plutonium-beryllium alloys 142 mg. of powdered plutonium fluoride PuF was mixed with 64 mg. of beryllium metal powder, and was placed in a berryllium oxide crucible. The-charge was heated in vacuum at 1150 C. for 1 hour to reduce the plutonium fluoride with the beryllium to distill the beryllium fluoride BeF formed, and to alloy the plutonium with the beryllium. ,Since this alloy did not fuse below 1500 C., it was hard sintered by raising the temperature to 1350 C. for fifteen minutes. The resulting alloy was crystalline, weighing 154 mg. and containing 70% plutonium. The plutonium yield in the reduction, therefore, was 94%.
2. Preparation of uranium-berryllium alloys 56.5 mg. of powdered uranium fluoride UF, was mixed with 24.2 mg. of beryllium metal powder and placed in a beryllium oxide crucible. The charge was heated in vacuum at.l200 C. for minutes to reduce the uranium fluoride with beryllium, to distill the beryllium fluoride BeF formed and to alloy the uranium with the beryllium.
ice
2 The resulting alloy was crystalline, weighing 59.7 mg.
' and containing 69% uranium. The uranium yield in the reduction, therefore was 96%.
3. Preparation of actinium-beryllium alloys 15 me. (200 ,ug.) of Ac as AcCl was evaporated to dryness on oxalic acid along with 50 mg. of uranium as a carrier. The actinium-uranium mixture was calcined to oxide at 600 .C. and fluorinated for 2 hours at 600 C. with a mixture of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen. The resulting fluoride was mixed with beryllium powder to produce a Be to Ac-l-U ratio of about 200 to 1 in the final alloy. The mixture was heated at 5 10- mm. mercury pressure in a beryllium oxide crucible for 15 minutes at 1350 C. to permit the following reaction to go to completion.
The resulting alloy had melted and formed a, small sphere in the bottom of the crucible. During the heat treatment about 50% of the Ra distilled from the crucible but returned to the alloy with a half-life of 11.2 days.
Alloys thus prepared of beryllium with plutonium, actinium, americium and/ or curium are useful as neutron source materials. As these metals are normally available in small quantities and are relatively ditficult to handle this method is particularly well adapted to providing such alloys.
It will, be apparent that more than one of the alloying metals may be incorporated in the berryllium to produce, for example, an alloy of beryllium, uranium and thorium.
The fluoride of the alloying metal is the preferred halide.
What is claimed is:
1. A method of producing alloys of beryllium with plutonium which comprises mixing halide of plutonium with beryllium and heating the mass at 1000" C. to 1350 C. in vacuum to reduce the halide and alloy the reduced metal with beryllium.
2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the beryllium halide formed is volatilized from the reaction zone.
3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the halide is fluoride.
4. A method of producing a plutonium-beryllium alloy which comprises mixing plutonium fluoride with beryllium metal, heating the mass in vacuum at about 1150 C. to reduce the fluoride and alloythe metals and removing the volatile beryllium fluoride formed.
References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,648,954 Marden Nov. 15, 1927 2,574,627 Daane et al. Nov. 13, 1951 2,592,115 Carroll. Apr. 8, 1952 2,678,267 Saunders May 11, 1954 2,692,823 Cieslicki et al Oct. 26, 1954 2,809,887 Runnalls Oct. 15, 1957 2,826,495 Spedding et a1 Mar. 11, 1958
Claims (1)
1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING ALLOYS OF BERYLLIUM WITH PLUTONIUM WHICH COMPRISES MIXING HALIDE OF PLUTONIUM WITH BERYLLIUM AND HEATING THE MASS AT 1000*C. TO 1350* C. IN VACUUM TO REDUCE THE HALIDE AND ALLOY THE REDUCED METAL WITH BERYLIUM.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US480591A US2875041A (en) | 1955-01-07 | 1955-01-07 | Method of making alloys of beryllium with plutonium and the like |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US480591A US2875041A (en) | 1955-01-07 | 1955-01-07 | Method of making alloys of beryllium with plutonium and the like |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| US2875041A true US2875041A (en) | 1959-02-24 |
Family
ID=23908549
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US480591A Expired - Lifetime US2875041A (en) | 1955-01-07 | 1955-01-07 | Method of making alloys of beryllium with plutonium and the like |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US2875041A (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2987393A (en) * | 1958-11-17 | 1961-06-06 | Ca Atomic Energy Ltd | Production of thorium-uranium alloys |
| US3523869A (en) * | 1967-10-03 | 1970-08-11 | Byk Gulden Lomberg Chem Fab | Booster-source rods in heavy water moderated reactor |
| US4509978A (en) * | 1982-12-07 | 1985-04-09 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy | Recoverable immobilization of transuranic elements in sulfate ash |
Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US1648954A (en) * | 1921-09-29 | 1927-11-15 | Westinghouse Lamp Co | Production of rare metals and alloys thereof |
| US2574627A (en) * | 1947-08-26 | 1951-11-13 | Adrian H Daane | Uranium-cobalt alloy |
| US2592115A (en) * | 1948-07-03 | 1952-04-08 | United States Radium Corp | Neutron source |
| US2678267A (en) * | 1952-02-27 | 1954-05-11 | Dow Chemical Co | Method of making an alloy comprising magnesium and thorium |
| US2692823A (en) * | 1947-08-07 | 1954-10-26 | Marion E Cieslicki | Uranium-nickel metal alloy |
| US2809887A (en) * | 1954-10-18 | 1957-10-15 | Oliver J C Runnalls | Method of alloying reactive metals with aluminum or beryllium |
| US2826495A (en) * | 1946-07-17 | 1958-03-11 | Frank H Spedding | Alloy for use in nuclear fission |
-
1955
- 1955-01-07 US US480591A patent/US2875041A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US1648954A (en) * | 1921-09-29 | 1927-11-15 | Westinghouse Lamp Co | Production of rare metals and alloys thereof |
| US2826495A (en) * | 1946-07-17 | 1958-03-11 | Frank H Spedding | Alloy for use in nuclear fission |
| US2692823A (en) * | 1947-08-07 | 1954-10-26 | Marion E Cieslicki | Uranium-nickel metal alloy |
| US2574627A (en) * | 1947-08-26 | 1951-11-13 | Adrian H Daane | Uranium-cobalt alloy |
| US2592115A (en) * | 1948-07-03 | 1952-04-08 | United States Radium Corp | Neutron source |
| US2678267A (en) * | 1952-02-27 | 1954-05-11 | Dow Chemical Co | Method of making an alloy comprising magnesium and thorium |
| US2809887A (en) * | 1954-10-18 | 1957-10-15 | Oliver J C Runnalls | Method of alloying reactive metals with aluminum or beryllium |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2987393A (en) * | 1958-11-17 | 1961-06-06 | Ca Atomic Energy Ltd | Production of thorium-uranium alloys |
| US3523869A (en) * | 1967-10-03 | 1970-08-11 | Byk Gulden Lomberg Chem Fab | Booster-source rods in heavy water moderated reactor |
| US4509978A (en) * | 1982-12-07 | 1985-04-09 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy | Recoverable immobilization of transuranic elements in sulfate ash |
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