Dissolution Behavior of Plutonium Containing Zirconia-Magnesia Ceramics

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2011.12.006· OSTI ID:1038926

Holliday, Kiel; Hartmann, Thomas; Cerefice, Gary; Czerwinski, Ken

This study explores the dissolution properties of zirconia-magnesia ceramics containing plutonium as the basis of an inert atrix nuclear fuel. The magnesium oxide phase remains pure MgO, while the zirconia incorporates a small amount of magnesium oxide along with all of the plutonium oxide and erbium oxide. The performance of the material under reactor and repository environments was examined. Reactor conditions are examined using a pressure vessel to expose the material to 300 degrees C water. To assess the performance of the material as a waste form it was submerged in 90 degrees C water for 1000 h. In both aqueous dissolution studies there was minimal release of less than 0.8 wt.% of plutonium from the material. To examine the potential for recycling, the dissolution behavior of the fuel matrix was examined in acidic solutions: pure nitric acid and a nitric acid-hydrofluoric acid-peroxide solution. Both acidic media exhibit potential for dissolving plutonium from the zirconia matrix. The experiments performed in this study are meant to lay a foundation for the chemical performance of zirconia-magnesia inert matrix fuel containing fissile material and burnable poison.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1038926
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-12-25669; JNUMAM; TRN: US1202049
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 422, Issue 1-3; ISSN 0022-3115
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BURNABLE POISONS
CERAMICS
DISSOLUTION
ERBIUM OXIDES
FISSILE MATERIALS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
NITRIC ACID
NUCLEAR FUELS
PERFORMANCE
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
PRESSURE VESSELS
RECYCLING
WASTE FORMS
WATER
behavior