COLUMBIUM ALLOY CLAD URANIUM CARBIDE FUEL ELEMENT. Technical Report No. 61-33

Methods of fabricating uranium monocarbide by powder metallurgical techniques are described. Experimental work includes cold-pressing and sintering, vacuum hot-pressing, liquid-phase sintering, and slip-casting. Uranium monocarbide powder for these experiments was produced by the methane- uranium metal reaction. The effect of the various process variables on the powder characteristics is discussed. Compatibility of sintered uranium carbide with selected niobium-base alloys was explored in the range of temperatures from 1000 to 1600 deg C. In the absence of oxygen contamination of the environment these materials are compatible to at least 1000 deg C. In determining the microhardness of uranium monocarbide and UC/sub 2/, the microhardness of UC/sub 2/ was found to be strongly orientation dependent. (auth)