Uranium carbide

 ( Carbides ) 

Uranium carbide, a carbide of uranium, is a hard refractory ceramic material. It comes in several stoichiometric ( x differs in ), such as uranium methanide ( UC, CAS number 12070-09-6), uranium sesquicarbide ( U₂C₃, CAS number 12076-62-9), Also called diuranium tricarbide, it was reported by and uranium acetylide ( UC₂, CAS number 12071-33-9). Uranium dicarbide was reported by

Like uranium dioxide and some other uranium compounds, uranium carbide can be used as a nuclear fuel for , 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.

As nuclear fuel, uranium carbide can be used either on its own, or mixed with plutonium carbide (PuC and Pu₂C₃). The mixture is also labeled as uranium-plutonium carbide ( (U,Pu)C ).

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

Ammonia synthesis from nitrogen and hydrogen is sometimes accomplished in the presence of uranium carbide acting as a catalyst.

• Uranium boride
• Thorium carbide