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Uranium hydride

This article is about UH3 . For the low temperature lattice, each uranium atom is surrounded by 6 other ura-
molecular compound, see Uranium(IV) hydride. nium atoms and 12 atoms of hydrogen; each hydrogen
atom occupies a large tetrahedral hole in the lattice.[8] The
Uranium hydride, also called uranium trihydride density of hydrogen in uranium hydride is approximately
the same as in liquid water or in liquid hydrogen.[9] The
(UH3 ), is an inorganic compound and a hydride of
uranium. U-H-U linkage through a hydrogen atom is present in the
structure.[10]

1 Properties 2.2 Water reaction


Uranium hydride is a highly toxic, brownish grey to Uranium hydride forms when uranium metal in e.g.
brownish black pyrophoric powder or brittle solid. Its Magnox fuel with corroded cladding becomes exposed to
density at 20 C is 10.95, much lower than that of ura- water; the reaction proceeds as follows:
nium (19.1). It has a metallic conductivity, is slightly sol-
uble in hydrochloric acid and decomposes in nitric acid.
7 U + 6 H2 O 3 UO2 + 4 UH3
Two crystal modications of uranium hydride exist, both
cubic: an form that is obtained at low temperatures and
a form that is grown when the formation temperature is The resulting uranium hydride is pyrophoric; if the metal
above 250 C.[5] After growth, both forms are metastable (e.g. a damaged fuel rod) is exposed to air afterwards, ex-
at room temperature and below, but the form slowly cessive heat may be generated and the bulk uranium metal
[11]
converts to the form upon heating to 100 C.[3] Both itself can ignite. Hydride-contaminated uranium can
- and -UH3 are ferromagnetic at temperatures below be passivated by exposition to a gaseous mixture of 98%
~180 K. Above 180 K, they are paramagnetic.[6] helium with 2% oxygen.[12] Condensed moisture on ura-
nium metal promotes formation of hydrogen and uranium
hydride; a pyrophoric surface may be formed in absence
of oxygen.[13] This poses a problem with underwater stor-
2 Formation in uranium metal age of spent nuclear fuel in spent fuel ponds. Depending
on the size and distribution on the hydride particles, self-
2.1 Hydrogen gas reaction ignition can occur after an indeterminate length of expo-
sure to air.[14] Such exposure poses risk of self-ignition
Exposition of uranium metal to hydrogen leads to of fuel debris in radioactive waste storage vaults.[15]
hydrogen embrittlement. Hydrogen diuses through Uranium metal exposed to steam produces a mixture of
metal and forms a network of brittle hydride over the uranium hydride and uranium dioxide.[8]
grain boundaries. Hydrogen can be removed and duc-
tility renewed by annealing in vacuum.[7] Uranium hydride exposed to water evolves hydrogen. In
contact with strong oxidizers this may cause re and ex-
Uranium metal heated to 250 to 300 C (482 to 572 plosions. Contact with halocarbons may cause a violent
F) reacts with hydrogen to form uranium hydride. reaction.[16]
Further heating to about 500 C will reversibly remove
the hydrogen. This property makes uranium hydrides
convenient starting materials to create reactive uranium
powder along with various uranium carbide, nitride, and 3 Other chemical reactions
halide compounds.[5] The reversible reaction proceeds as
follows:[2] Polystyrene-impregnated uranium hydride powder
is non-pyrophoric and can be pressed, however its
2 U + 3 H2 2 UH3 hydrogen-carbon ratio is unfavorable. Hydrogenated
polystyrene was introduced in 1944 instead.[17]
Uranium hydride is not an interstitial compound, caus- Uranium deuteride is said to be usable for design of some
ing the metal to expand upon hydride formation. In its types of neutron initiators.

1
2 6 REFERENCES

Uranium hydride enriched to about 5% uranium-235 is spring of 1944 as it turned out that such a design would
proposed as a combined nuclear fuel/neutron modera- be inecient.[23]
tor for the Hydrogen Moderated Self-regulating Nuclear
Power Module. According to the aforementioned patent
application, the reactor design in question begins produc-
ing power when hydrogen gas at a sucient temperature
5 Applications
and pressure is admitted to the core (made up of granu-
lated uranium metal) and reacts with the uranium metal Hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium can be puried by re-
to form uranium hydride.[18] Uranium hydride is both a acting with uranium, then thermally decomposing the re-
nuclear fuel and a neutron moderator; apparently it, like sulting hydride/deuteride/tritide.[24] Extremely pure hy-
other neutron moderators, will slow neutrons suciently drogen has been prepared from beds of uranium hydride
to allow for ssion reactions to take place; the uranium- for decades.[25] Heating uranium hydride is a convenient
235 atoms within the hydride also serve as the nuclear way to introduce hydrogen into a vacuum system.[26]
fuel. Once the nuclear reaction has started, it will con- The swelling and pulverization at uranium hydride syn-
tinue until it reaches a certain temperature, approximately thesis can be used for preparation of very ne uranium
800 C (1,500 F), where, due to the chemical properties metal, if the powdered hydride is thermally decomposed.
of uranium hydride, it chemically decomposes and turns
Uranium hydride can be used for isotope separation of
into hydrogen gas and uranium metal. The loss of neu-
hydrogen, preparing uranium metal powder, and as a
tron moderation due to the chemical decomposition of
reducing agent.
the uranium hydride will consequently slow and even-
tually halt the reaction. When temperature returns to
an acceptable level, the hydrogen will again combine with
the uranium metal, forming uranium hydride, restoring 6 References
moderation and the nuclear reaction will start again.[18]
Uranium zirconium hydride (UZrH), a combination of [1] Carl L. Yaws (2008). Thermophysical properties of chem-
uranium hydride and zirconium(II) hydride, is used as a icals and hydrocarbons. William Andrew. pp. 307.
fuel/moderator in the TRIGA-class reactors. ISBN 978-0-8155-1596-8. Retrieved 11 October 2011.

On heating with diborane, uranium hydride pro- [2] Egon Wiberg; Nils Wiberg; Arnold Frederick Holleman
duces uranium boride.[19] With bromine at 300 C, (2001). Inorganic chemistry. Academic Press. pp. 239.
uranium(IV) bromide is produced. With chlorine at 250 ISBN 978-0-12-352651-9. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
C, uranium(IV) chloride is produced. Hydrogen uoride
[3] Gerd Meyer; Lester R. Morss (1991). Synthesis of lan-
at 20 C produces uranium(IV) uoride. Hydrogen chlo-
thanide and actinide compounds. Springer. pp. 44.
ride at 300 C produces uranium(III) chloride. Hydrogen
ISBN 978-0-7923-1018-1. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
bromide at 300 C produces uranium(III) bromide.
Hydrogen iodide at 300 C produces uranium(III) io- [4] Bartscher W., Boeuf A., Caciuo R., Fournier J.M., Kuhs
dide. Ammonia at 250 C produces uranium(III) nitride. W.F., Rebizant J., Rustichelli F (1985). Neutron dirac-
Hydrogen sulde at 400 C produces uranium(IV) sulde. tion study of b-UD3 AND b-UH3. Solid State Commun.
Oxygen at 20 C produces triuranium octoxide. Water at 53: 423426. doi:10.1016/0038-1098(85)91000-2.
350 C produces uranium dioxide.[20]
[5] Seaborg, Glenn T. (1968). Uranium. The Encyclopedia
Uranium hydride ion may interfere with some mass spec- of the Chemical Elements. Skokie, Illinois: Reinhold Book
trometry measurements, appearing as a peak at mass 239, Corporation. p. 782. LCCCN 68-29938.
creating false increase of signal for plutonium-239.[21]
[6] K. H. J. Buschow (2005). Concise encyclopedia of mag-
netic and superconducting materials. Elsevier. pp. 901.
ISBN 978-0-08-044586-1. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
4 History
[7] I. N. Toumanov (2003). Plasma and high frequency pro-
cesses for obtaining and processing materials in the nuclear
Uranium hydride slugs were used in the "tickling the fuel cycle. Nova Publishers. p. 232. ISBN 1-59033-009-
dragons tail" series of experiments to determine the 9. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
critical mass of uranium.[22]
Uranium hydride and uranium deuteride were suggested [8] Amit Arora (2005). Text Book Of Inorganic Chemistry.
Discovery Publishing House. p. 789. ISBN 81-8356-
as a ssile material for a uranium hydride bomb. The
013-X. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
tests with uranium hydride and uranium deuteride during
Operation UpshotKnothole were disappointing, how- [9] Peter Gevorkian (2009). Alternative Energy Systems in
ever. During the early phases of the Manhattan Project, Building Design (GreenSource Books). McGraw Hill Pro-
in 1943, uranium hydride was investigated as a promis- fessional. p. 393. ISBN 0-07-162147-4. Retrieved 2010-
ing bomb material; however, it was abandoned by the 02-07.
3

[10] G. Singh (2007). Environmental Pollution. Discovery [25] Yuda Yrm (1995). Hydrogen energy system: production
Publishing House. ISBN 81-8356-241-8. Retrieved and utilization of hydrogen and future aspects. Springer.
2010-02-07. p. 264. ISBN 0-7923-3601-1. Retrieved 2010-02-07.

[11] Rust never sleeps. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. [26] Fred Rosebury (1992). Handbook of electron tube and
Books.google.com. 50 (5): 49. 1994. Retrieved 2010- vacuum techniques. Springer. p. 121. ISBN 1-56396-
02-07. 121-0. Retrieved 2010-02-07.

[12] EMSP. Teton.if.uidaho.edu. Retrieved 2010-02-07.

[13] OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (2006). Advanced nuclear


fuel cycles and radioactive waste management. OECD
Publishing. p. 176. ISBN 92-64-02485-9. Retrieved
2010-02-07.

[14] Abir Al-Tabbaa; J. A. Stegemann (2005).


Stabilisation/Solidication Treatment and Remedia-
tion: Proceedings of the International Conference on
Stabilisation/Solidication Treatment and Remediation,
1213 April 2005, Cambridge, UK. Taylor & Francis. p.
197. ISBN 0-415-37460-X. Retrieved 2010-02-07.

[15] International Conference on Nuclear Decom 2001: ensur-


ing safe, secure and successful decommissioning : 1618
October 2001 Commonwealth Conference and Events Cen-
tre, London UK, Issue 8. John Wiley and Sons. 2001. p.
278. ISBN 1-86058-329-6. Retrieved 2010-02-07.

[16] Uranium & Insoluble Compounds. Osha.gov. Re-


trieved 2010-02-07.

[17] Lillian Hoddeson; et al. (2004). Critical Assembly: A


Technical History of Los Alamos During the Oppenheimer
Years, 19431945. Cambridge University Press. p. 211.
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[18] Peterson, Otis G. (2008-03-20). Patent Applica-


tion 11/804450: Self-regulating nuclear power module.
United States Patent Application Publication. United States
Patent and Trademark Oce, Federal Government of the
United States, Washington, DC, USA. Retrieved 2009-
09-05.

[19] Harry Julius Emelus (1974). Advances in inorganic


chemistry and radiochemistry. 16. Academic Press. p.
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[20] Simon Cotton (2006). Lanthanide and actinide chemistry.


John Wiley and Sons. p. 170. ISBN 0-470-01006-1. Re-
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[21] Kenton James Moody; Ian D. Hutcheon; Patrick M. Grant


(2005). Nuclear forensic analysis. CRC Press. p. 243.
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[22] Photo Tickling the Dragons Tail. Mphpa.org. 2005-


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[23] Lying well. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.


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[24] E. E. Shpil'rain (1987). Thermophysical properties of


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4 7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses


7.1 Text
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