Theoretical study on the alloying behavior of -uranium metal; -uranium alloy with 3d transition metals

Kurihara, Masayoshi*; Hirata, Masaru ; Sekine, Rika*; Onoe, Jun*; Nakamatsu, Hirohide*

We have investigated the alloying behavior of g-uranium with 3d transition metals (TMs) using the relativistic discrete-variational Dirac-Fock-Slater (DV-DFS) method. The d-orbital energy (Md) as an alloying parameter well reproduces the alloying behavior of g- uranium metal with TMs: (1) in the case of a large Md value (Ti,V,Cr), the solubility of these TM elements in g-uranium becomes large; (2) in the case of a middle Md value (Mn,Fe,Co), the tendency to form a uranium intermetallic compound with these elements becomes stronger; (3) in the case of a small Md value (Cu), the alloying element is insoluble in g-uranium. The alloying behavior of g-uranium with TMs is also discussed in terms of other parameters such as electronegativity and metallic radius.