A Study on Calcination and Reduction of AUC (Ammonium Uranyl Carbonate) -Characteristics and Phase Change of Powder-

,; ,; ,; ,; ,; ,; ,; ,

J. Korean Ceram. Soc. > Volume 30(4); 1993 > Article

Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society 1993;30(4): 279.

AUC(Ammonium Uranyl Carbonate)의 하소 및 환원 반응 -분말의 특성 및 상변화-

김응호, 최청송¹, 박진호, 장인순

한국원자력연구소 화공재료부
¹서강대학교 화학공학과

A Study on Calcination and Reduction of AUC (Ammonium Uranyl Carbonate) -Characteristics and Phase Change of Powder-

ABSTRACT

A study on calcination and reduction of AUC(ammonium uranyl carbonate, (NH4)4UO2(CO3)3) has been carried out by using TG-DTA in N2, air and H2 atmospheres, respectively. Phases of various intermediate obtained during thermal analysis of AUC in different atmospheres were confirmed by XRD. Powder characteristics of each intermediate were investigated by measuring particle size and specific surface area, and also observed by SEM. As a results, regardless of applied atmosphere AUC was calcined into amorphous UO3, which was converted to $alpha$-U3O8 Via $alpha$-UO3 in both H2 and N2 atmosphere, but directly into $alpha$-UO3 in air atmosphere. Further reduction of U3O8 was only detectable in hydrogen atmosphere. During calcination and reduction, average particle size was reduced to less than 30% of original value without morphology change. Specific surface area was dramatically increased with release of NH3, CO2 and H2O from AUC powder and reached maximum value around 25$0^{circ}C$, and then gradually decreased with the increase of temperature due to sintering effect of uranium oxides such as UO3 and U3O8. It was also found that the change of average crystallite size and pore size were closely related to the changes of specific surface area of uranium oxides.