Uranium oxide

Updated on Nov 26, 2024

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Uranium oxide is an oxide of the element uranium.

The metal uranium forms several oxides:

Uranium dioxide or uranium(IV) oxide (UO₂, the mineral uraninite or pitchblende)

Diuranium pentoxide or uranium(V) oxide (U₂O₅)

Uranium trioxide or uranium(VI) oxide (UO₃)

Triuranium octoxide (U₃O₈), the most stable uranium oxide; yellowcake typically contains 70 to 90 percent triuranium octoxide)

Uranyl peroxide (UO₂O₂ or UO₄)

Uranium dioxide is oxidized in contact with oxygen to form triuranium octoxide.

3 UO₂ + O₂ → U₃O₈; at 700 °C (970 K)

Preparation 38

During World War II, "Preparation 38" was the codename for uranium oxide used by German scientists.

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