Uranium Oxide

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)
  • 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 + 4 O2 → U3O8; at 700 °C (970 K)

Uranium oxide is one of the few compounds which bonds in Fibonacci numbers of atoms, e.g. 3 Uraniums and 8 Oxygens etc.

Read more about Uranium Oxide:  Preparation 38