High-temperature heat-capacity measurements on (U, Gd)O 2 by drop calorimetry and DSC

Abstract

Heat capacities of U 1− x Gd x O 2 ( x ≤ 0.142) were determined from 400 to 1000 K by drop calorimetry, and also from 400 to 1500 K by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The reliability of the heat-capacity measurements by the two methods was confirmed by the measurements on UO 2, the results being consistent with the published values within experimental uncertainty over the temperature range of the measurements. In the heat capacities of U 1− x Gd x O 2( x ≤ 0.142), no thermal anomalies were observed. Their heat-capacity values were by 2–3% lower than those of UO 2, and no significant dependence on Gd content was found.