Dry synthesis of brannerite (UTiO) by mechanochemical treatment

Akiyama, Daisuke*; Mishima, Tomoki*; Okamoto, Yoshihiro  ; Kirishima, Akira*

A powder mixture of UO and TiO was mechanochemically treated in a planetary ball mill under Ar atmosphere for 1 h using a tungsten carbide vial and balls as the milling medium. Such mechanochemical (MC) treatment reduced the crystallinity of UO and TiO. The mechanochemically treated powder mixture was heated at 973-1573K for 6 h under Ar atmosphere and analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. UTiO did not form below 1373K without MC treatment and only the starting materials were observed. At 1473 and 1573K, a small amount of UTiO and equal amounts of UTiO and UO were formed, respectively. The mechanochemically treated sample produced nearly pure UTiO containing small amounts of UO impurities when heated above 1173K for 6 h. UTiO was highly crystalline and uniform regardless of the synthesis temperature.