Uranium carbide

[Probeman]

Does anyone have some uranium carbide (UC?) material that they can share with me, or at least make a k-ratio measurement for me, relative to a carbon standard? I'm trying to compare Penepma Monte-Carlo models with our current analytical models and getting lots of different answers!

It could be a depleted uranium carbide of course...
john

[Philipp Poeml]

I had some UC samples once, but they were not very good to measure. I remember they were also not homogeneous, more a mixture of two UCx phases. I need to check in my data... Carbon was not such a pleasure...

[Probeman]

I contacted IBI Labs and found out that uranium carbide is pyrophoric, but thorium carbide would work as well for my purposes and is stable.

They are asking $500 for a gram for thorium carbide.  I don't need that much material for my measurement so I could share a gram with you and Philipp if our department could bill you each for say $150 each? 

Would that work at all?
john

[Philipp Poeml]

Interesting idea. I have not thought about that.
Question: Do you have a sample preparation lab? Could this lab embed and polish this material into one of our standard holders? Then it might be worhtwhile. And I might find some cash.

[Probeman]

Interesting idea. I have not thought about that.
Question: Do you have a sample preparation lab? Could this lab embed and polish this material into one of our standard holders? Then it might be worhtwhile. And I might find some cash.

Yes, we have a prep lab.  We can embed this in an acrylic block and polish it, but I'm not sure if we should mess with your stds block.  I guess it depends on what is in your standard holder (we probably don't want to polish plutonium!).  You don't have a prep lab?

I would much prefer to mount our piece of ThC2 ourselves and you mount your piece yourself.   Better for all I would think.
john

[wrigke]

I would need to check on the difficulty of the paperwork involved in making this purchase.  It certainly cannot be done by just billing us.  That is considered an illegal procurement.

Honestly if the price is that low for UC, my preference would be to purchase that, mount it and make the measurements.  I'd gladly share the data.  The fact that it is pyrophoric is not a concern for me.  We have an argon glove box that we use for pyrophoric materials.

[Probeman]

I would need to check on the difficulty of the paperwork involved in making this purchase.  It certainly cannot be done by just billing us.  That is considered an illegal procurement.

Honestly if the price is that low for UC, my preference would be to purchase that, mount it and make the measurements.  I'd gladly share the data.  The fact that it is pyrophoric is not a concern for me.  We have an argon glove box that we use for pyrophoric materials.

Hi Karen,
The price for the ThC2 is $500 per gram.  The price for UC is $850 per gram (95% purity).

I spoke with Alex at IBI Labs.  I think I'll stick with the ThC2 as it doesn't catch on fire in air!
john

[Philipp Poeml]

Hi John, no we do not have a prep lab. We do everything ourselves, or we ask a company do embed our standards or a university lab. We do not have a standard block, all our standards are individually mounted in little brass cups. I could send you a cup and your prep lab could mount the ThC2 in it, so it is just a single operation and there is no involvement of any contamination whatsoever, apart from the Th. That is how we proceed with other companies: We send them our little brass cups, and they send us back the purchased standards each mounted in an individual cup.

[Probeman]

Hi John, no we do not have a prep lab. We do everything ourselves, or we ask a company do embed our standards or a university lab. We do not have a standard block, all our standards are individually mounted in little brass cups. I could send you a cup and your prep lab could mount the ThC2 in it, so it is just a single operation and there is no involvement of any contamination whatsoever, apart from the Th. That is how we proceed with other companies: We send them our little brass cups, and they send us back the purchased standards each mounted in an individual cup.

Hi Philipp,
Ah, OK.

Let me talk to Julie and see if she would mind mounting up two samples.
john

[Mike Matthews]

Hi John,

I'd be interested in a wee bit of the ThC too, if there's enough to go round.

[Probeman]

Hi John,

I'd be interested in a wee bit of the ThC too, if there's enough to go round.

Hi Mike,
That should be possible, but it will be ThC2 I think.   It's water sensitive, though not pyrophoric like UC and UC2.   
john

[Mike Matthews]

Hi John,

Did you try the ThC2 in the end? DOes it look fully dense and homogenous. Phil Poml posted that the UC wasn't homogeneos but if the ThC2 is I'll look into getting some.

Mike

[Probeman]

Hi Mike,
Sorry to say I got distracted (by other shiny objects!), and never actually purchased the ThC2 from IBI labs.

But for $500 I think you should try it out and let us know how it is.   
john