A simple hermetic sample holder for X-ray diffraction analysis of uranium hydride

In order to help resolve unknowns regarding aging effects of uranium during long-term storage of tritium, a number of experiments have been carried out by several researchers. However, almost no literature is available on the structural change of uranium tritide, mainly because its high toxicity and air-sensitivity render appropriate experiments very difficult. In this paper, a simple hermetic sample holder that fits the Philips X'Pert Pro X-ray diffractometer is described. It may be used to study the aging effects of uranium tritide during storage. The sample holder mainly consists of an aluminium container for sample storage and a Mylar window for X-ray measurements. This sample holder can also be used with other air-sensitive, radioactive and toxic materials. In this paper, the first results obtained from X-ray diffraction analysis of uranium hydride are presented.