PREPARATION AND CONSOLIDATION OF THORIUM AND THORIUM HYDRIDE POWDERS

A study was made of powder characteristics and cold compacting properties of metallic thorium, Th/sub 2/ and Th/sub 4/ powders produced from Annes billet lathe turnings. In addition a preliminary study was made of the influence of various powder processing and sintering variables on some physical properties of cold compacted bodies. The cold compacting and sintering characteristics of metallic thorium powder were generally superior to those ot the hydride powders. The thorium powder could be cold compacted at 75 tsi to 96% of theoretical Annes billet density and sintered to 99% of the billet density when heated to above 1250 deg C for one-half hour. A test bar made from cold compacted and sintered thorium powder was found to have an ultimate tensile strength of 45,200 psi and an area reduction of 38.5%. (auth