Preparation and structural studies of elemental curium-248 and the nitrides of curium-248 and berkelium-249

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Abstract

Samples of curium-248 metal were prepared on the 10 μg scale by reducing curium trifluoride with lithium metal vapor. Elemental curium 248 was found to exhibit a double hexagonal close-packed (d.h.c.p.) structure with average room temperature lattice parameters of a0 = 0.3500(3) nm and c0 = 1.134(1) nm, and a high temperature face-centred cubic (f.c.c.) structure with an average room temperature lattice parameter of 0.5065 (19) nm. Complete reversibility between the two phases of the metal was demonstrated.

The nitrides of curium-248 and berkelium-249 were prepared by reaction of the metals or their hydrides with nitrogen. Curium-248 nitride was found to exhibit an f.c.c. structure with an average room temperature lattice parameter of a0 = 0.5027(12) nm. One single-phase sample of berkelium nitride yielded the f.c.c. parameter a0 = 0.5010(4) nm.

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Portion of dissertation submitted in 1973 by J.N.S. to the Graduate Council of the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

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Oak Ridge Graduate Fellow from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) under appointment from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities. Present address: U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School, Naval Training Center, Orlando, Fla. 32813, U.S.A.

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