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2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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Christmas Light
’Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
No electrons were flowing through even my mouse.
All devices were plugged by the chimney with care
With the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.
E. J. Petkus, T. R. Johnson, R. K. Steunenberg
Nuclear Technology | Volume 4 | Number 6 | June 1968 | Pages 388-393
Technical Paper and Note | doi.org/10.13182/NT68-A26363
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Uranium monocarbide was synthesized on a 500- to 1000-g scale by the reaction of uranium dissolved in a liquid zinc-magnesium alloy with finely divided carbon suspended in the liquid-metal solution. The carbide precipitated as an insoluble solid phase that was heavier than the solvent metal. After a settling period, the bulk of the Zn-Mg supernatant liquid was transferred by pressure-siphoning. The Zn-Mg remaining with the UC precipitate was removed by vacuum distillation at temperatures of 850 to 900°C. The better UC products had a carbon-to-uranium atom ratio (C/U) of 1.05 to 1.10 and contained 0.2 to 0.3 wt% O and 0.2 to 0.4 wt% Mg and Zn. Uranium monocarbide was the only compound formed by this method but it was not possible to produce UC with a C/U ratio of 1.00 or less because an excess of carbon was necessary to completely react the dissolved uranium.