Study of ammonia synthesis over uranium catalysts

The effect of induced radiactivity and chemical composition of uranium catalysts on their catalytic activity in the ammonia synthesis reaction has been studied. The catalyst samples comprise pieces of metal uranium and chip irradiated in nuclear reactor by the 4.3x1016 n/cm2 integral flux of slow neutrons. Studies of catalytic activity was carried out at 1 atm and 340-510 deg C when stoichiometric nitrogen-hydrogen mixture passed through the following installation. At different temperatures uranium nitrides of different composition are shown to be formed. Uranium nitrides with the composition close to UN2 are the samples with the highest catalYtic activity. The reduction of catalytic activity of uranium catalysts with the increased temperature of their formation above 400 deg C is explained by low catalytic activity of forming UNsub(1.7) in comparison with UN2. Catalytic properties of irradiated and nonirradiated samples do not differ from one another