Developing uranium dicarbide–graphite porous materials for the SPES project

Uranium carbide dispersed in graphite was produced under vacuum by means of carbothermic reduction of different uranium oxides (UO2, U3O8 and UO3), using graphite as the source of carbon. The thermal process was monitored by mass spectrometry and the gas evolution confirmed the reduction of the U3O8 and UO3 oxides to UO2 before the carbothermic reaction, that started to occur at T > 1000 °C. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of α-UC2 and of a minor amount of UC. The morphology of the produced uranium carbide was not affected by the oxides employed as the source of uranium.