PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS OF CERIUM DIOXIDE SURROGATE MATERIALS AS A SIMULANT FOR PLUTONIUM-238 DIOXIDE FUELS PROCESSING
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Carver, Faith Anne↗
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Water Solubility of Plutonium and Uranium Compounds and Residues at TA-55
Understanding the water solubility of plutonium and uranium compounds and residues at TA-55 is necessary to provide a technical basis for appropriate criticality safety, safety basis and accountability controls. Individual compound solubility was determined using published solubility data and solution thermodynamic modeling. Residue solubility was estimated using a combination of published technical reports and process knowledge of constituent compounds. The scope of materials considered includes all compounds and residues at TA-55 as of March 2016 that contain Pu-239 or U-235 where any single item in the facility has more than 500 g of nuclear material. This analysis indicates that the following materials are not appreciably soluble in water: plutonium dioxide (IDC=C21), plutonium phosphate (IDC=C66), plutonium tetrafluoride (IDC=C80), plutonium filter residue (IDC=R26), plutonium hydroxide precipitate (IDC=R41), plutonium DOR salt (IDC=R42), plutonium incinerator ash (IDC=R47), uranium carbide (IDC=C13), uranium dioxide (IDC=C21), U 3 O 8 (IDC=C88), and uranium filter residue (IDC=R26). This analysis also indicates that the following materials are soluble in water: plutonium chloride (IDC=C19) and uranium nitrate (IDC=C52). Equilibrium calculations suggest that PuOCl is water soluble under certain conditions, but some plutonium processing reports indicate that it is insoluble when present in electrorefining residues (R65). Plutonium molten salt extraction residues (IDC=R83) contain significant quantities of PuCl 3 , and are expected to be soluble in water. The solubility of the following plutonium residues is indeterminate due to conflicting reports, insufficient process knowledge or process-dependent composition: calcium salt (IDC=R09), electrorefining salt (IDC=R65), salt (IDC=R71), silica (IDC=R73) and sweepings/screenings (IDC=R78). Solution thermodynamic modeling also indicates that fire suppression water buffered with a commercially-available phosphate buffer would significantly reduce the solubility of PuCl 3 by the precipitation of PuPO 4 .
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
Environmental Impact Statement for the Cassini Mission
This Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) to the 1995 Cassini mission Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) focuses on information recently made available from updated mission safety analyses. This information is pertinent to the consequence and risk analyses of potential accidents during the launch and cruise phases of the mission that were addressed in the EIS. The type of accidents evaluated are those which could potentially result in a release of plutonium dioxide from the three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGS) and the up to 129 Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUS) onboard the Cassini spacecraft. The RTGs use the heat of decay of plutonium dioxide to generate electric power for the spacecraft and instruments. The RHUs, each of which contains a small amount of plutonium dioxide, provide heat for controlling the thermal environment of the spacecraft and several of its instruments. The planned Cassini mission is an international cooperative effort of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to conduct a 4-year scientific exploration of the planet Saturn, its atmosphere, moons, rings, and magnetosphere.
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Raman and infrared spectra of plutonium (IV) oxalate and its thermal degradation products
For over 80 years, plutonium dioxide has been routinely produced via thermal decomposition of hydrated plutonium(IV) oxalate. Despite the longstanding utility of this process, the chemical structures of starting materials and intermediates produced during this thermal conversion remain ill-defined. To help resolve this uncertainty, we measured high-resolution Raman and infrared spectra of Pu(C 2 O 4 ) 2 ·6H 2 O that was heated to 25, 100, 220, 250, 350, and 450 °C in air. Our measurements show that Pu(C 2 O 4 ) 2 ·6H 2 O has a rich vibrational spectrum with at least 15 Raman bands between 180 cm -1 and 1900 cm -1 and 9 infrared bands between 800 cm -1 and 4000 cm -1 . As Pu(C 2 O 4 ) 2 ·6H 2 O is heated, water is liberated, and the oxalate ligand decomposes to produce plutonium oxycarbide species. When heated to 350 °C or higher, vibrational spectra are consistent with PuO 2 with some residual carbon-containing species. Full vibrational spectra, powder X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy measurements of Pu(C 2 O 4 ) 2 ·6H 2 O and its thermal degradation products are presented herein along with approximate assignments for observed spectral bands. These data can be used to validate and potentially improve existing computational models that describe the chemical structure of compounds produced during thermal degradation of plutonium (IV) oxalate. Given the utility of plutonium (IV) oxalate in synthesizing plutonium dioxide, these results are expected to provide value in the fields of nuclear fuel processing, nuclear nonproliferation, and nuclear forensics.
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
Potential hydrogen and oxygen partial pressures in legacy plutonium oxide packages at Oak Ridge
An approach to estimate the maximum hydrogen and oxygen partial pressures within sealed containers is described and applied to a set of packages containing high-purity plutonium dioxide. The approach uses experimentally determined maximum hydrogen and oxygen partial pressures and scales the experimentally determined pressures to the relevant packaged material properties. The important material properties are the specific wattage and specific surface area (SSA). Important results from the experimental determination of maximum partial pressures are (1) the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is stoichiometric, and (2) the maximum pressures increase with increasing initial rates of production. The material properties that influence the rates are the material specific wattage and the SSA. The unusual properties of these materials, high specific wattage and high SSA, result in higher predicted maximum pressures than typical plutonium dioxide in storage. The pressures are well within the deflagration range for mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen.
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
Characterisation and heat treatment of chloride-contaminated and humidified PuO2 samples
To mimic the reactions that have occurred between plutonium dioxide (PuO2) and degraded polyvinyl chloride during prolonged storage, batches of PuO2 powders with varying specific surface area (4-38m2 g1) were exposed to dry hydrogen chloride gas forming a surface-sorbed exchangeable chloride species that was readily leached by dilute caustic solution. One batch was also humidified under a 95% relative humidity atmosphere. Heat treatment at temperatures between 100 and 950 C steadily reduced the leachable chloride content at least when the initial leachable chloride surface coverage was calculated to be > 0.5 monolayer (ML). Variations between samples are attributed to differences in surface area as well as production route and period of interim storage in air or humidified atmospheres. The data are consistent with surface species and reactions proposed in the literature for HCl adsorption on to TiO2. This indicates that it is interactions between hydrogen chloride/chloride and water/hydroxyl species on the PuO2 surface that are key to understanding the behaviour of these materials when heated in a furnace. These data will inform the design of a future thermal stabilisation process for chloride-contaminated PuO2.
Sutherland-Harper, Sophie↗
ENDF/B-VIII.1: Thermal Neutron Scattering Sublibrary
The thermal neutron scattering law (TSL) sublibrary aims to describe the interaction of incident neutrons at thermal or sub-thermal energies with different compound materials such fuels, moderators and special-purpose materials. In ENDF/B-VIII.1 there was a large number of new and updated TSL evaluations, including traditional moderators (light water, Beryllium metal, Beryllium Oxide, Calcium Hydride, plastics (Polystyrene and Lucite), graphite (reactor-grade and crystalline), anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride, and heavy paraffinic oil); exotic moderators (Beryllium Carbide, Zirconium Hydride, Yttrium Hydride, Lithium-7 Hydride and Deuteride), FLiBe molten salt, structural materials and cladding (Silicon Carbide, Silicon Dioxide, Zirconium Carbide), fuels (Plutonium Dioxide, Uranium Carbide, Uranium metal, Uranium Nitride, Uranium Dioxide, Uranium Hydride), and special purpose materials. In ENDF/B-VIII.1 we also distribute alongside the evaluated files, a comma-separated file (CSV), named TSL_MAT_numbers.csv, which lists all evaluated files in the current release and their corresponding unique MAT number.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
Synthesis and Characterization of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Composites with CeO 2 Powder
This study pioneers the fabrication and characterization of silicon carbide (SiC) containing cerium dioxide (CeO 2 ). CeO 2 powder was tested as a surrogate for actinide oxide waste forms such as uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) and plutonium dioxide (PuO 2 ). Several syntheses were evaluated with varying amounts of preceramic polymer (SMP-10 resin) and CeO 2 containing either SiC fiber, carbon fiber, or no fibers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize morphology and compositional differences, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to provide semiquantitative elemental analysis. In addition, each sample was characterized by density, powder x-ray diffraction (pXRD), and Raman spectroscopy. Samples containing nearly more than four times CeO 2 powder than SMP-10 resin by mass had the best properties. This research establishes a unique synthesis for SiC containing high concentrations of CeO 2 powder to illustrate how it may be managed as a potential waste form.
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MIS High-Purity Plutonium Oxide Metal Oxidation Product TS707001 (SSR123): Final Report
A high-purity plutonium dioxide material from the Material Identification and Surveillance (MIS) Program inventory has been studied with regard to gas generation and corrosion in a storage environment. Sample TS707001 represents process plutonium oxides from several metal oxidation operations as well as impure and scrap plutonium from Hanford that are currently stored in 3013 containers. After calcination to 950°C, the material contained 86.98% plutonium with no major impurities. This study followed over time, the gas pressure of a sample with nominally 0.5 wt% water in a sealed container with an internal volume scaled to 1/500th of the volume of a 3013 container. Gas compositions were measured periodically over a six year period. The maximum observed gas pressure was 138 kPa. The increase over the initial pressure of 80 kPa was primarily due to generation of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas in the first six months. Hydrogen and oxygen were minor components of the headspace gas. At the completion of the study, the internal components of the sealed container showed signs of corrosion, including pitting.
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
Use of boiled hexamethylenetetramine and urea to increase the porosity of cerium dioxide microspheres formed in the internal gelation process
Cerium dioxide (CeO 2 ) is a commonly used simulant for plutonium dioxide and for plutonium (Pu) in a mixed uranium (U) and Pu oxide [(U, Pu)O 2 ] in nuclear fuel development. This effort developed CeO 2 microspheres with different porosities and diameters for use in a crush-strength study. The internal gelation technique has produced CeO 2 microspheres with limited initial porosity. When an equal molar solution of urea and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) is gently boiling for 1 hr and used in the gelation process, the crystallite size and porosity of mixed U and thorium oxide microspheres and the (U, Pu)O 2 microspheres increased significantly. In this study with cerium, the combination of ammonium cerium nitrate and 1-h boiled HMTA-urea failed to produce a stable feed broth. However, when the 1-h heated HMTA-urea was combined with unheated HMTA-urea in 1 to 3 volume ratio or the boiling time of the HMTA-urea was reduced to 15-20 min, a stable solution of HMTA, urea, and Ce was formed at 273 K. This new Ce solution produced CeO 2 microspheres with much higher initial porosities. Intermediate porosities were possible when the heated HMTA/urea was aged prior to use.
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
Preparation and Characterization of Pu and Hf Bearing Lanthanide Borosilicate and Alumino-borosilicate Glasses - 15667
Eight borosilicate glasses with LaBS and ABS compositions containing plutonium and/or hafnium as a plutonium surrogate were prepared in Pt ampoules (Pu-bearing) and alumina or Pt crucibles (Hf-bearing) and characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Hf-bearing LaBS glasses were found to be amorphous whereas Pu-bearing glasses contained trace of plutonium dioxide and britholite. Hf and Fe bearing ABS glasses contained minor spinel structure phase. As followed from optical and SEM studies Hf-bearing LaBS glasses were more homogeneous than Pu-bearing and ABS glasses. The structure of the anionic motif of the glasses investigated by IR and Raman spectroscopy is typical of the glasses with relatively low silica content. (authors)
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Commentary on Inhaled 239 PuO 2 in Dogs — A Prophylaxis against Lung Cancer?
Several studies on the effect of inhaled plutonium-dioxide particulates and the incidence of lung tumors in dogs reveal beneficial effects when the cumulative alpha-radiation dose is low. There is a threshold at an exposure level of about 100 cGy for excess tumor incidence and reduced lifespan. The observations conform to the expectations of the radiation hormesis dose-response model and contradict the predictions of the LNT hypothesis. These studies suggest investigating the possibility of employing low-dose alpha-radiation, such as from 239 PuO 2 inhalation, as a prophylaxis against lung cancer.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Raman spectroscopy: A tool to investigate alpha decay damage in a PuO 2 crystal lattice and determining sample age since calcination
Raman microspectroscopy can be used to measure local physical properties of materials, such as the lattice parameter. Alpha decay induced lattice damage of plutonium dioxide (PuO 2 ) results in the growth of new bands and broadening of the T 2g band. A relationship between the change in the lattice parameter and storage time has been established in the literature using X-ray diffraction (XRD). In this work, our measured time-dependent Raman spectra of PuO 2 particulates matches the XRD results. This new Raman spectroscopic technique can provide dating information on the time elapsed since the last calcination of PuO 2 using a single >5 μm particulate in contrast to 50 mg of 10–50 μm particles required by XRD.
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
The kinetics of the PuO 2 to Pu 2 O 3 conversion
Here in an oxidizing environment, the oxide formed on plutonium (Pu) metal is composed of a plutonium dioxide (PuO 2 ) top layer and a thin cubic plutonium sesquioxide (Pu 2 O 3 ) middle layer. In a reducing environment, the PuO 2 layer auto-reduces to cubic Pu 2 O 3 . The speed and extent of this conversion depend on the combination of temperature and time. While PuO 2 provides a strong diffusion barrier against unwanted Pu corrosion by gaseous species (like hydrogen), Pu 2 O 3 does not, since its crystal structure has chains of oxygen vacancies. The kinetics of the PuO 2 reduction are, therefore, of fundamental interest and enable researchers to better protect Pu from corrosion. In this report, the oxygen-diffusion-limited kinetics of the dioxide to sesquioxide conversion were obtained by dynamically heating a PuO 2 -covered Pu sample from 294 to 418 K in a high-vacuum vessel equipped with an in situ spectroscopic ellipsometer. The physical/chemical constraints in the conversion process were combined with the ellipsometry method of multi-sample analysis to track the percentage of PuO 2 and to compute the extent of Pu 2 O 3 formation. The resulting diffusion coefficients were compared against and then combined with complementary literature data to produce a comprehensive set of kinetic parameters for reliably modeling oxide conversion over a larger temperature range than spanned by prior studies. The extracted thermal activation energy barrier (43.7 kJ/mol) and pre-exponential factor (5.0 × 10 -10 cm 2 /s) for the oxygen-diffusion-limited process can be used to accurately model the PuO 2 to Pu 2 O 3 transformation in vacuum and/or inert gas applications.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Nature of Nano-Sized Plutonium Particles in Soils at the Hanford Site
The occurrence of plutonium dioxide (PuO2) either from direct deposition or from the precipitation of plutonium-bearing solutions in contaminated soils and sediments has been well described, particularly for the Hanford site in Washington State. However, past research has suggested that plutonium may exist in environmental samples at the Hanford site in chemical forms in addition to large size PuO2 particles and that these previously unidentified nano-sized particles maybe more reactive and thus more likely to influence the environmental mobility of Pu. Here we present evidence for the formation of nano-sized plutonium iron phosphate hydroxide structurally related to the rhabdophane group nanoparticles in 216-Z9 crib sediments from Hanford using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The distribution and nature of these nanoparticles varied depending on the adjacent phases present. Fine electron probes were used to obtain electron diffraction and electron energy-loss spectra from specific phase regions of the 216-Z9 cribs specimens from fine-grained plutonium oxide and phosphate phases. Energy-loss spectra were used to evaluate the plutonium N4,5 (4d → 5f ) and iron L2,3 absorption edges. The iron plutonium phosphate formation may depend on the local micro-environment in the sediments, availability of phosphate, and hence the distribution of these minerals may control long-term migration of Pu in the soil. This study also points to the utility of using electron beam methods for determining the identity of actinide phases and their association with other sediment phases.
Cribs, Soil Contamination↗
MIS High-Purity Plutonium Oxide Hydride Product 5501579 (SSR124): Final Report
A high-purity plutonium dioxide material from the Material Identification and Surveillance (MIS) Program inventory has been studied with regard to gas generation and corrosion in a storage environment. Sample 5501579 represents process plutonium oxides from hydride oxide from Rocky Flats that are currently stored in 3013 containers. After calcination to 950°C, the material contained 87.42% plutonium with no major impurities. This study followed over time, the gas pressure of a sample with nominally 0.5 wt% water in a sealed container with an internal volume scaled to 1/500th of the volume of a 3013 container. Gas compositions were measured periodically over a six year period. The maximum observed gas pressure was 124 kPa. The increase over the initial pressure of 70 kPa was primarily due to generation of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas. Hydrogen and oxygen were minor components of the headspace gas. At the completion of the study, the internal components of the sealed container showed signs of corrosion.
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
MIS High Purity Plutonium Oxide Metal Oxidation Product MT1490 (SSR125): Final Report
A high purity plutonium dioxide material from the Material Identification and Surveillance (MIS) Program inventory has been studied with regard to gas generation and corrosion in a storage environment. Sample MT1490 represents process plutonium oxides from several metal oxidation operations that are currently stored in 3013 containers. This study followed over time, the gas pressure of a sample with nominally 0.5 weight percent water in a sealed container with an internal volume scaled to 1/500 th of the volume of a 3013 container. The sample was a mixture of as-received material, material calcined at 800°C and material calcined at 950°C. This material contained 87% plutonium with no major impurities. Gas compositions were measured periodically over a nine year period. The maximum observed gas pressure of 118 kPa was reached during the ninth year. The increase over the initial pressure of 95 kPa was primarily due to generation of nitrogen and hydrogen gas. Oxygen was a minor component of the headspace gas. At the completion of the study, the inner bucket showed signs of corrosion, including pitting, in the container material contact region.
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
MIS Shelf-Life Final Report for Plutonium Oxide Item 1000089 (SSR136 and SSR136A) from Rocky Flats Peroxide Precipitation and Calcination Process
A plutonium dioxide material from the Material Identification and Surveillance (MIS) Program inventory has been studied to determine the gas generation and corrosion behavior in a storage environment. Sample 1000089 represents product-quality plutonium oxides produced in the Rocky Flats peroxide precipitation process currently stored in 3013 containers. This study followed over time the gas pressure and composition of a sample with nominally 0.5 wt% water in a sealed container with an internal volume scaled to 1/500th of the volume of a 3013 container. Gas compositions had been measured periodically over almost 13 years. The maximum observed gas pressure was 204 kPa and was related to a temperature excursion. The maximum observed gas pressure from gas generation was 126 kPa. The increase over the initial pressure of 86.7 kPa was due to the generation of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Carbon dioxide, methane and carbon monoxide were minor components of the headspace gas. The material exhibited unusual behavior in that the atmosphere reached flammable levels of hydrogen and oxygen within the first 30 days and remained flammable for the duration of the experiment. It has been determined that the sample inside the reactor was a mixture of the AR material, material calcined at 800 °C, and material calcined at 950 °C. The experiment was terminated in 2012 and unloaded in 2016. A new reactor, SSR136A, was loaded with the original sample freshly calcined at 950 °C. The total pressure inside SSR136A remained close to the initial value of 93 kPa. The total pressure is composed of He (steady levels after the reloading) and hydrogen which is 10% of the reactor’s total pressure. Nitrogen and oxygen compose trace amounts of the reactor headspace. The internal components of SSR136 were inspected in 2021, five years after it was removed from the array. The inside surfaces of the inner bucket exposed to the original sample for 4,576 days had an etched appearance, and pit-like features were observed in the microscopic analysis. No corrosion was observed on the SSR136A inner bucket that held the freshly calcined sample that was exposed for 1,303 days.
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗