Preparation of Uranium Carbide from Uranium Chloride

A method has been developed for the preparation of uranium monocarbide using UCI₄ as starting material. Among several thermodynamically possible reactions, the reaction of UCL, Al and graphite powder mixture under Ar atmosphere was selected for reasons of availability of material and facility of post-reaction processing. It was confirmed by chemical and X-ray analyses that UC had been obtained at temperatures between 600° and 1,200°C. The purest UC was obtained at 900°C, and the conversion efficiency of uranium reached a maximum of about 80%.