Continuation of development of nitrides for space nuclear reactors

Alloy nitrides (U,Zr), (U,Ce), and (U,Y) were prepared and exposed to vacuum at temperatures to 1700 C (1973 K) and compared with pure UN. Weight loss data and physical observations showed that the alloy samples were more stable than UN. In weight loss, (U,Zr)N was 3 times as stable as UN at 1600 C (1873 K) for 100 hr at 0.000002 torr (0.000266n/sq.m.).