Abstract
Studies of the phase diagram of uranium have revealed a wealth of high pressure and temperature phases. Under ambient conditions the crystal structure is well defined up to 100 gigapascals (GPa), but very little information on thermal conduction or elasticity is available over this same range. This work has applied ultrasonic interferometry to determine the elasticity, mechanical, and thermal properties of depleted uranium to 4.5 GPa. Results show general strengthening with applied load, including an overall increase in acoustic thermal conductivity. Further implications are discussed within. This work presents the first high pressure studies of the elasticity and thermal properties of depleted uranium metal and the first real-world application of a previously developed containment system for making such measurements.
Highlights
Uranium, which occupies an important central position in the early actinides, is well known for its many uses
Studies of the phase diagram of uranium have revealed a wealth of high pressure and temperature phases
It is well known that depleted uranium can be alloyed to effect improvements in many elastic and plastic related deformation properties, to improve corrosion resistance, and to allow flexible heat treatability
Summary
Uranium, which occupies an important central position in the early actinides, is well known for its many uses. Most studies of uranium have focused on the low temperature properties or high pressure/high temperature structure.8 Overall, such information is useful and necessary to better understand the f-shell dynamics, but does not provide all information needed for applications. Experimental studies use in situ diamond anvil cell (DAC) X-ray diffraction and laser heating techniques to explore the phase diagram up to 100 GPa and high temperature. Studies of this sort help to determine the isothermal modulus and phase boundaries, but do not extend to full elasticity or thermal properties. It is necessary that high pressure techniques move beyond just X-ray diffraction
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