Diffusion of uranium in rhenium determined by solid state nuclear track detector

Abstract

The diffusion of uranium in rhenium has been determined by using a solid state nuclear track detector. Induced thermal-neutron fission tracks registered on mica detectors from diffused U-235 atoms on each side of the rhenium have been counted. The diffusion process was carried out in a vacuum bell-jar at 10 -4 torr pressure range. Uranium was doped on the front side of a stack of rhenium filaments in the same vacuum bell-jar from a thermal ionization source. A constant d.c. current was run through the filaments to obtain the required temperature of diffusion by resistance-heating. The results of diffusion in the temperature range from 1082 to 1265 °C can be expressed by the relation D=7.89 ×10 −7 exp( −20560 RT ) .