diff --git a/openmc/__init__.py b/openmc/__init__.py
index a0492ee40..2aeacd689 100644
--- a/openmc/__init__.py
+++ b/openmc/__init__.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from openmc.executor import *
 from openmc.statepoint import *
 from openmc.summary import *
 from openmc.particle_restart import *
+from openmc.mixin import *
 
 try:
     from openmc.opencg_compatible import *
diff --git a/openmc/data/ace.py b/openmc/data/ace.py
index 4085b4222..831e40fc8 100644
--- a/openmc/data/ace.py
+++ b/openmc/data/ace.py
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import sys
 
 import numpy as np
 
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
+
 
 if sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
     basestring = str
@@ -131,7 +133,7 @@ def get_table(filename, name=None):
                              .format(name))
 
 
-class Library(object):
+class Library(EqualityMixin):
     """A Library objects represents an ACE-formatted file which may contain
     multiple tables with data.
 
@@ -353,7 +355,7 @@ class Library(object):
             lines = [ace_file.readline() for i in range(13)]
 
 
-class Table(object):
+class Table(EqualityMixin):
     """ACE cross section table
 
     Parameters
diff --git a/openmc/data/angle_distribution.py b/openmc/data/angle_distribution.py
index 316559c50..80b6cdbdb 100644
--- a/openmc/data/angle_distribution.py
+++ b/openmc/data/angle_distribution.py
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@ from numbers import Real
 import numpy as np
 
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 from openmc.stats import Univariate, Tabular, Uniform
 from .function import INTERPOLATION_SCHEME
 
 
-class AngleDistribution(object):
+class AngleDistribution(EqualityMixin):
     """Angle distribution as a function of incoming energy
 
     Parameters
diff --git a/openmc/data/angle_energy.py b/openmc/data/angle_energy.py
index 00e049ebc..4a5e391e3 100644
--- a/openmc/data/angle_energy.py
+++ b/openmc/data/angle_energy.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
 
 import openmc.data
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 
 
-class AngleEnergy(object):
+class AngleEnergy(EqualityMixin):
     """Distribution in angle and energy of a secondary particle."""
 
     __metaclass = ABCMeta
diff --git a/openmc/data/correlated.py b/openmc/data/correlated.py
index 97a96c17c..d6ce8ab47 100644
--- a/openmc/data/correlated.py
+++ b/openmc/data/correlated.py
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ class CorrelatedAngleEnergy(AngleEnergy):
     @property
     def interpolation(self):
         return self._interpolation
+
     @property
     def energy(self):
         return self._energy
diff --git a/openmc/data/energy_distribution.py b/openmc/data/energy_distribution.py
index 2300081c1..a16090635 100644
--- a/openmc/data/energy_distribution.py
+++ b/openmc/data/energy_distribution.py
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ import numpy as np
 from .function import Tabulated1D, INTERPOLATION_SCHEME
 from openmc.stats.univariate import Univariate, Tabular, Discrete, Mixture
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 
 
-class EnergyDistribution(object):
+class EnergyDistribution(EqualityMixin):
     """Abstract superclass for all energy distributions."""
 
     __metaclass__ = ABCMeta
diff --git a/openmc/data/fission_energy.py b/openmc/data/fission_energy.py
index 03d3ed84e..6352915cc 100644
--- a/openmc/data/fission_energy.py
+++ b/openmc/data/fission_energy.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from .data import ATOMIC_SYMBOL
 from .endf_utils import read_float, read_CONT_line, identify_nuclide
 from .function import Function1D, Tabulated1D, Polynomial, Sum
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 
 if sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
     basestring = str
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ def write_compact_458_library(endf_files, output_name='fission_Q_data.h5',
     out.close()
 
 
-class FissionEnergyRelease(object):
+class FissionEnergyRelease(EqualityMixin):
     """Energy relased by fission reactions.
 
     Energy is carried away from fission reactions by many different particles.
@@ -560,7 +561,7 @@ class FissionEnergyRelease(object):
         self.delayed_photons.to_hdf5(group, 'delayed_photons')
         self.betas.to_hdf5(group, 'betas')
         self.neutrinos.to_hdf5(group, 'neutrinos')
-        
+
         if isinstance(self.prompt_neutrons, Polynomial):
             # Add the polynomials for the relevant components together. Use a
             # Polynomial((0.0, -1.0)) to subtract incident energy.
diff --git a/openmc/data/function.py b/openmc/data/function.py
index a7397e785..94a2f0911 100644
--- a/openmc/data/function.py
+++ b/openmc/data/function.py
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@ from numbers import Real, Integral
 import numpy as np
 
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 
 INTERPOLATION_SCHEME = {1: 'histogram', 2: 'linear-linear', 3: 'linear-log',
                         4: 'log-linear', 5: 'log-log'}
 
 
-class Function1D(object):
+class Function1D(EqualityMixin):
     """A function of one independent variable with HDF5 support."""
 
     __metaclass__ = ABCMeta
@@ -389,7 +390,7 @@ class Polynomial(np.polynomial.Polynomial, Function1D):
         return cls(dataset.value)
 
 
-class Sum(object):
+class Sum(EqualityMixin):
     """Sum of multiple functions.
 
     This class allows you to create a callable object which represents the sum
diff --git a/openmc/data/library.py b/openmc/data/library.py
index dba5eabc1..49d1c78f6 100644
--- a/openmc/data/library.py
+++ b/openmc/data/library.py
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@ import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 
 import h5py
 
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 from openmc.clean_xml import clean_xml_indentation
 
-class DataLibrary(object):
+
+class DataLibrary(EqualityMixin):
     def __init__(self):
         self.libraries = []
 
diff --git a/openmc/data/neutron.py b/openmc/data/neutron.py
index 95f840d64..c6621e1b8 100644
--- a/openmc/data/neutron.py
+++ b/openmc/data/neutron.py
@@ -15,12 +15,13 @@ from .product import Product
 from .reaction import Reaction, _get_photon_products
 from .urr import ProbabilityTables
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 
 if sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
     basestring = str
 
 
-class IncidentNeutron(object):
+class IncidentNeutron(EqualityMixin):
     """Continuous-energy neutron interaction data.
 
     Instances of this class are not normally instantiated by the user but rather
diff --git a/openmc/data/product.py b/openmc/data/product.py
index eec47c956..753888f6d 100644
--- a/openmc/data/product.py
+++ b/openmc/data/product.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import sys
 import numpy as np
 
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 from .function import Tabulated1D, Polynomial, Function1D
 from .angle_energy import AngleEnergy
 
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ if sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
     basestring = str
 
 
-class Product(object):
+class Product(EqualityMixin):
     """Secondary particle emitted in a nuclear reaction
 
     Parameters
diff --git a/openmc/data/reaction.py b/openmc/data/reaction.py
index d35599579..e7580ec47 100644
--- a/openmc/data/reaction.py
+++ b/openmc/data/reaction.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from warnings import warn
 import numpy as np
 
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 from openmc.stats import Uniform
 from .angle_distribution import AngleDistribution
 from .angle_energy import AngleEnergy
@@ -250,7 +251,7 @@ def _get_photon_products(ace, rx):
     return photons
 
 
-class Reaction(object):
+class Reaction(EqualityMixin):
     """A nuclear reaction
 
     A Reaction object represents a single reaction channel for a nuclide with
diff --git a/openmc/data/thermal.py b/openmc/data/thermal.py
index be35da517..1551e8ac5 100644
--- a/openmc/data/thermal.py
+++ b/openmc/data/thermal.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import numpy as np
 import h5py
 
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 from .ace import Table, get_table
 from .angle_energy import AngleEnergy
 from .function import Tabulated1D
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ def get_thermal_name(name):
             return 'c_' + name
 
 
-class CoherentElastic(object):
+class CoherentElastic(EqualityMixin):
     r"""Coherent elastic scattering data from a crystalline material
 
     Parameters
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ class CoherentElastic(object):
         idx = np.searchsorted(self.bragg_edges, E)
         return self.factors[idx]/E
 
+
     def __len__(self):
         return len(self.bragg_edges)
 
@@ -147,7 +149,7 @@ class CoherentElastic(object):
         return cls(bragg_edges, factors)
 
 
-class ThermalScattering(object):
+class ThermalScattering(EqualityMixin):
     """A ThermalScattering object contains thermal scattering data as represented by
     an S(alpha, beta) table.
 
@@ -237,13 +239,15 @@ class ThermalScattering(object):
                 self.inelastic_dist.to_hdf5(inelastic_group)
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_hdf5(cls, group):
+    def from_hdf5(cls, group_or_filename):
         """Generate thermal scattering data from HDF5 group
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        group : h5py.Group
-            HDF5 group to read from
+        group_or_filename : h5py.Group or str
+            HDF5 group containing interaction data. If given as a string, it is
+            assumed to be the filename for the HDF5 file, and the first group
+            is used to read from.
 
         Returns
         -------
@@ -251,6 +255,12 @@ class ThermalScattering(object):
             Neutron thermal scattering data
 
         """
+        if isinstance(group_or_filename, h5py.Group):
+            group = group_or_filename
+        else:
+            h5file = h5py.File(group_or_filename, 'r')
+            group = list(h5file.values())[0]
+
         name = group.name[1:]
         atomic_weight_ratio = group.attrs['atomic_weight_ratio']
         temperature = group.attrs['temperature']
diff --git a/openmc/data/urr.py b/openmc/data/urr.py
index 052da6612..05f64e578 100644
--- a/openmc/data/urr.py
+++ b/openmc/data/urr.py
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ from numbers import Integral, Real
 import numpy as np
 
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 
 
-class ProbabilityTables(object):
+class ProbabilityTables(EqualityMixin):
     r"""Unresolved resonance region probability tables.
 
     Parameters
diff --git a/openmc/mixin.py b/openmc/mixin.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd97e8924
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openmc/mixin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import numpy as np
+
+
+class EqualityMixin(object):
+    """A Class which provides generic __eq__ and __ne__ functionality which
+    can easily be inherited by downstream classes.
+    """
+
+    def __eq__(self, other):
+        if isinstance(other, type(self)):
+            for key, value in self.__dict__.items():
+                if not np.array_equal(value, other.__dict__.get(key)):
+                    return False
+        else:
+            return False
+
+        return True
+
+    def __ne__(self, other):
+        return not self.__eq__(other)
diff --git a/openmc/stats/univariate.py b/openmc/stats/univariate.py
index 3fdd5e4a2..ce0f0fae1 100644
--- a/openmc/stats/univariate.py
+++ b/openmc/stats/univariate.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from xml.etree import ElementTree as ET
 import numpy as np
 
 import openmc.checkvalue as cv
+from openmc.mixin import EqualityMixin
 
 if sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
     basestring = str
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ _INTERPOLATION_SCHEMES = ['histogram', 'linear-linear', 'linear-log',
                           'log-linear', 'log-log']
 
 
-class Univariate(object):
+class Univariate(EqualityMixin):
     """Probability distribution of a single random variable.
 
     The Univariate class is an abstract class that can be derived to implement a