Uranium nitrides

Uranium nitride^[1]
Names
	IUPAC name Uranium nitride
Identifiers
CAS Number	UN: 25658-43-9 ; UN2: 12033-83-9;
3D model (JSmol)	UN: Interactive image; UN2: Interactive image; U2N3: Interactive image;
ChemSpider	UN: 105089;
PubChem CID	UN: 117595;
	InChI InChI=1S/N.U Key: MVXWAZXVYXTENN-UHFFFAOYSA-N;
	SMILES UN: U#N; UN2: N#[U]#N; U2N3: N#[U]=N([U]#N);
Properties
Chemical formula	U2N3
Molar mass	518.078 g/mol
Appearance	crystalline solid
Density	11300 kg·m−3, solid
Melting point	900 to 1,100 °C (1,650 to 2,010 °F; 1,170 to 1,370 K) (decomposes to UN)
Boiling point	Decomposes
Solubility in water	0.08 g/100 ml (20 °C)
Structure
Crystal structure	Hexagonal, hP5
Space group	P-3m1, No. 164
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Uranium nitrides is any of a family of several ceramic materials: uranium mononitride (UN), uranium sesquinitride (U₂N₃) and uranium dinitride (UN₂). The word nitride refers to the −3 oxidation state of the nitrogen bound to the uranium.

Uranium nitride has been considered as a potential nuclear fuel and will be used as such in the BREST-300 nuclear reactor currently under construction in Russia. It is said to be safer, stronger, denser, more thermally conductive and having a higher temperature tolerance. Challenges to implementation of the fuel include a complex conversion route from enriched UF₆, the need to prevent oxidation during manufacturing and the need to define and license a final disposal route. The necessity to use expensive, highly isotopically enriched ¹⁵N is a significant factor to overcome. This is necessary due to the (relatively) high neutron capture cross-section of the far-more-common ¹⁴N, which affects the neutron economy of a reactor.^[2]

^ R. B. Matthews; K. M. Chidester; C. W. Hoth; R. E. Mason; R. L. Petty (1988). "Fabrication and testing of uranium nitride fuel for space power reactors". Journal of Nuclear Materials. 151 (3): 345. Bibcode:1988JNuM..151..345M. doi:10.1016/0022-3115(88)90029-3.
^ Chaudri, Khurrum Saleem (2013). "Coupled analysis for new fuel design using UN and UC for SCWR". Progress in Nuclear Energy. 63: 57–65. doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2012.11.001.

[1] R. B. Matthews; K. M. Chidester; C. W. Hoth; R. E. Mason; R. L. Petty (1988). "Fabrication and testing of uranium nitride fuel for space power reactors". Journal of Nuclear Materials. 151 (3): 345. Bibcode:1988JNuM..151..345M. doi:10.1016/0022-3115(88)90029-3.

[Chaudri2013-2] Chaudri, Khurrum Saleem (2013). "Coupled analysis for new fuel design using UN and UC for SCWR". Progress in Nuclear Energy. 63: 57–65. doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2012.11.001.

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