Uranium carbide

Uranium carbide (Template:UraniumTemplate:Carbon, U₂C₃, and UC₂), a carbide of uranium, is a hard refractive ceramic material. Its CAS number is 12070-09-6 for UC and 12071-33-9 for UC₂.

Like uranium dioxide and some other uranium compounds, uranium carbide can be used as a nuclear fuel for nuclear reactors, usually in the form of pellets or tablets. Uranium carbide fuel was used in late designs of nuclear thermal rockets.

Uranium carbide pellets are used as fuel kernels for the US version of pebble bed reactors; German version uses uranium dioxide instead.

As nuclear fuel, uranium carbide can be used either on its own, or mixed with plutonium carbide (PuC and Pu₂C₃).

Uranium carbide is also a popular target material for particle accelerators.

See also:

• Uranium dioxide
• Uranium boride
• Plutonium carbide
• Thorium carbide