화학공학소재연구정보센터
Applied Surface Science, Vol.265, 389-392, 2013
Structural analysis of nitride layer formed on uranium metal by glow plasma surface nitriding
The nitride layer was formed on uranium metal by a glow plasma surface nitriding method. The structure and composition of the layer were investigated by X-ray diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. The nitride layer mainly consisted of alpha-phase U2N3 nanocrystals with an average grain size about 10-20 nm. Four zones were identified in the layer, which were the oxide surface zone, the nitride mainstay zone, the oxide-existence interface zone, and the nitrogen-diffusion matrix zone. The gradual decrease of binding energies of uranium revealed the transition from oxide to nitride to metal states with the layer depth, while the chemical states of nitrogen and oxygen showed small variation. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.