Abstract
The thermal stability of samples of (Pu0.4Zr0.6)N composition is investigated at a temperature of 2300°C in vacuum and argon and at a temperature of 2200°C in nitrogen. The heating and cooling rate is 600°C/h, and the dwell time at the maximum temperature is 20 min. The thermal stability of samples in gaseous media is investigated at the excess pressure of the inlet gas of 0.5 × 105 Pa and in vacuum no less than 0.01 Pa in a closed volume. The X-ray microspectrum and X-ray structural investigations of the samples are carried out. Concentration tracks of plutonium and zirconium in peripheral areas of the tested samples are recorded for the quantitative assessment of the thermal stability of the (Pu0.4Zr0.6)N composition. Differences in the behavior of the thermal stability of the composition at temperatures of 2200–2300°C in various media are shown; namely, the stability is the least in vacuum, and high stability is in argon and nitrogen; however, in the latter case, the precipitation of phases with increased plutonium content is observed.
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Original Russian Text © M.V. Skupov, A.E. Glushenkov, G.A. Kireev, A.A. Chebotarev, I.D. Solomatin, V.A. Astaf’ev, L.M. Zabud’ko, 2013, published in Perspektivnye Materialy, 2013, No. 10, pp. 13–19.
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Skupov, M.V., Glushenkov, A.E., Kireev, G.A. et al. Thermal stability of a (Pu0.4Zr0.6)N nitride composition. Inorg. Mater. Appl. Res. 5, 143–148 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2075113314020208
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S2075113314020208