Synthesis of americium trichloride by the reaction of americium nitride with cadmium chloride

Americium trichloride was synthesized by the reaction of americium nitride with cadmium chloride at 600–660 K in a dynamic vacuum. The product was hexagonal AmCl3, of which lattice parameters were determined to be a0 = 0.7390 and c0 = 0.4215 nm. The results indicate that high purity AmCl3 samples, in which the oxychloride was not found, were prepared without the use of corrosive reagents. The reaction of the nitrides with cadmium chloride is suitable for synthesis of high purity actinide and lanthanide chlorides.