Uranium oxide has been reduced by carbon under vacuum at 2250°C, to yield a product consisting of dendritic uranium carbide in a matrix of uranium.

The kinetics of the reduction of some powdered uranium oxides by hydrogen and carbon monoxide was studied by means of a static method. Reductant pressures of about one millimeter of mercury were used, and reaction temperatures ranged from 590 to 950 deg C. It was found that for all oxide compositions and for reduction by carbon monoxide as well as by hydrogen, the reduction was controlled by a surface process rate expression (equation provided in paper).

Uranium oxide has been reduced by carbon under vacuum at 225O deg C, to yield a product consisting of dendritic uranium carbide in a matrix of uranium. Uranium sponge is obtained from this cermet by hydrolyzr-ng the interconnected UC. This is followed by pickling in dilute nitric acid to remove the residual hydrolysis product UO/sub 2/ x H/sub 2/O from the metal. As carried out on the 100-pound scale, the average over-all yield of uranium from 21 reductions was 31.2% per reduction cycle. The uranium is of high purity and is in a form that is well suited to direct arc melting with or without alloying, clad rolling, or powder metallurgical consolidation. (auth).