THE DETERMINATION OF ATOMIC RATIOS IN THE URANIUM–OXYGEN SYSTEM BY A THERMOGRAVIMETRIC METHOD

Abstract

A description is given of a thermogravimetric oxidation–reduction method for determining U–O ratios, especially suited to oxygen-sensitive materials of undetermined purity, and equally applicable to pure stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric oxides and their mixtures with each other and with uranium metal.Provided that no uncombined base metals other than uranium, and no oxidizable or reducible matter other than its oxides, are present, it is not essential to know the detailed composition of the sample, since the assay is based on interconversion of the stoichiometric oxides UO2 and U3O8 within that sample.Incidental advantages of this method are: the avoidance of manipulation of the sample during the determination, precise reaction control, and immediate recording of the completion or otherwise of the required reaction.