Corrosion Experiments Using Spherical Uranium Powders

Abstract

Corrosion experiments using spherical U powders are continuing with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showing that the particles are highly textured, 5 m to 25 m diameters with 4% larger particles that are fused smaller particles. This U has a high specific surface area with no corners or back-sides, is well annealed with no machining work, and coated with a coherent oxide film, 30 nm to 300 nm thick. Exposure of this powder to low vapor pressure H 2 O in the absence of O 2 , i.e., a vacuum desiccator, resulted in a coherent oxide film growth of ~1 m/y, ~ 10X the growth rate in ambient air, displaying fracture along the growth plane at ~300 nm.