Reactions of liquid sodium with transition-metal oxides. Part III. The oxides UO3 and U3O8

Abstract

At 400°, liquid sodium reduces uranium trioxide to the dioxide, no double oxide being present in the product At 600°, the product contains sodium uranate(V), Na₃UO₄. Thermal analysis indicates that at 540°, sodium oxide and uranium dioxide react to form sodium uranate(V), for which an X-ray powder diffraction pattern is reported, and the reactions in liquid sodium are interpreted on this basis. The oxide U₃O₈ behaves as a mixture of UO₃ and UO₂.