Synthesis of monolithic uranium hydride and uranium deuteride

We report the synthesis of monolithic uranium hydride and uranium deuteride. In our procedure, we grow the UH x (UD x ) crystals from the melt at temperatures above 1065 °C under 125 MPa hydrogen (deuterium) pressure. We then quench to room temperature at dT dt < 10 ° C min −1 at high pressure to allow the stoichiometry to come to UH 3. UH 3 synthesized using this procedure is 100% dense, with dimensions of up to 5 mm × 5 mm × 10 mm. X-ray and Auger electron spectroscopy indicate β-UH 3 with essentially no impurities.