Abstract: A hydrosol containing, in nitrate form, a fuel or fuel-and-breeder material which is projected horizontally in the form of droplets into a gas phase containing gaseous ammonia and allowed to fall in a drip-casting column into a precipitation bath containing ammonium hydroxide. In the gas phase, the droplets are hardened just enough to prevent their deformation upon penetrating into the precipitation bath where the hardening is completed. A falling height of 5 cm is suitable. The granules are washed free of ammonium nitrate, then dried, and then sintered. The heavy metal content in the hydrosol is between 1.5 and 3 moles per liter, and the pH value of the precipitation bath is between 8 and 9. The hydrosol contains the heavy metal in oxide form and the process can be used with a thorium oxide hydrosol or a hydrosol that, in addition to thorium oxide, contains the oxide of hexavalent uranium, in the latter case the hexavalent uranium being present in a proportion up to 25% by weight of the total heavy metal.

Abstract: Radiation-contaminated ammonium nitrate is heated in solution to about 100.degree. C. in the presence of finely powdered calcium oxide or lithium hydroxide. Ammonia and water vapor are given off leaving an alkaline or alkaline earth nitrate which can then be safely decomposed by calcination into a metal oxide and oxides of nitrogen. The metal oxide can be recycled in a continuation of the process. The oxides of nitrogen can be passed through water to produce nitric acid useable in dissolving oxides of fissionable materials and the ammonia may be used in aqueous solution to react with nitrates of nuclear fuel or breeder metals in the very process that produces the by-product ammonium nitrate. Thus, all by-products and reagents can be reconverted and recycled.

Abstract: Finely-divided metal oxides are prepared by the steps of (a) contacting a compound of a metal with a carbohydrate material to obtain an intimate mixture thereof, (b) igniting this mixture to oxidize the same and to insure conversion of substantially all of said metal compound to a fragile agglomerate of its metal oxide, and (c) pulverizing the product of step (b) to form a finely-divided metal oxide powder having a mean particle size below about 1.0 micron. Certain of the finely-divided metal oxide powders produced by this process have the useful property of sinterability at temperatures significantly lower than metal oxide powders heretofore readily available. The powders are useful in the preparation of high strength compacted shapes for use in high temperature and/or corrosive environment, in the preparation of refractory cements, catalysts, catalysts supports and the like.

Abstract: A nitrided alloy of uranium and zirconium is provided which consists of a single-phase UN structure containing a dissolved amount of Zr as ZrN, effective to inhibit dissociation of the UN phase.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a selected metal nitride utilizing a salt bath. The selected metal is introduced into the salt bath in the presence of gaseous nitrogen and at least a certain amount of a halide of the selected metal. The salt bath is maintained at a temperature above its melting point for time sufficient to form a precipitate of the desired amount of a nitride of the selected metal. In accordance with a preferred embodment, the pressure is thereafter reduced to less than atmospheric and the temperature increased above the boiling point of the salt for a time sufficient to volatilize the molten salt which is removed to leave a precipitate of the selected metal nitride. The method is particularly applicable to the production of the mononitrides of uranium, plutonium, thorium, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Uniform microspheres substantially or completely free from internal cavities and voids are prepared by spraying an aqueous hydrated metal oxide solution onto the surface of a water-immiscible organic liquid containing from 0.04 to 2.0 percent by volume of a surface active agent, the viscosities of each of the organic and inorganic phases plus the amount of surface active agent within the above range being selected such that there is sufficient surface active agent present to prevent the globules from adhering to each other yet an insufficient amount to prevent deformation from the substantially spherical shape.

Abstract: The preparation of metal and metalloid carbides, borides, nitrides silicides and sulfides by reaction in the vapor phase of the corresponding vaporous metal halide, e.g., metal chloride, with a source of carbon, boron, nitrogen, silicon or sulfur respectively in a reactor is described. Reactants can be introduced into the reactor through a reactant inlet nozzle assembly. Inhibition and often substantial elimination of product growth on exposed surfaces of such assembly is accomplished by introducing the corresponding substantially anhydrous hydrogen halide, e.g., hydrogen chloride, into the principal reactant mixing zone.

Abstract: Pure monocarbides, or pure mononitrides or carbonitrides of metals are prepared by first forming a mixture of carbon with an oxalate of the metals and thermally decomposing the metal oxalate in the presence of the carbon by a stream of hydrogen. The hydrogen is removed and monocarbides are then formed by heating the decomposition products in vacuo to carbothermally reduce them. Mononitrides and carbonitrides can be formed by replacing the hydrogen with nitrogen and heating the decomposition products in the nitrogen.

Abstract: A method of coprecipitating a mixed oxalate to be used as a laser material in which one of the reactants is introduced as droplets formed by an aerosol into a bath containing the second reactant.

Abstract: A process for preparing actinide-nitrides from massive actinide metal which is suitable for sintering into low density fuel shapes by partially hydriding the massive metal and simultaneously dehydriding and nitriding the dehydrided portion. The process is repeated until all of the massive metal is converted to a nitride.

Abstract: A continuous process for extraction of niobium, rare earths and thorium from niobium ore concentrates which includes digesting the ore with a hot solution containing 13 to 16 moles of sulphuric acid per liter, diluting the solution to a concentration of 10 to 13 moles of sulphuric acid per liter, separating the insolubles from the solution which includes alkaline earth sulphates and the sulphates of thorium and rare earths that are present, reducing titanium in solution to the trivalent state and diluting the solution to a concentration of 5 to 7 moles of sulphuric acid per liter, separating the precipitated niobium oxide and sulphates of thorium and rare earths, and then concentrating the resulting solution to the level desired for recycle to the digestion stage.

Abstract: Metal cyanide complexes of a single metal or mixed-metal complexes in which a metal is complexed with cyanide. The metals preferably include .[.magnesium, beryllium, aluminum,.]. chromium, titanium, zirconium, thorium, yttrium and cobalt and nickel in addition to the lanthanide metals. An aqueous solution is prepared and the complex is isolated by crystallization with a stoichiometry of the metals determined by their proportions in the solution.