The plutonium-oxygen phase diagram

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6952196

Haschke, J M

Identification of products formed by the reaction of plutonium metal with liquid water at 23{degree}C indicates that the plutonium-oxygen phase diagram is similar to the cerium-oxygen and praseodymium-oxygen diagrams. Quantitative measurements of H{sub 2} formation and analytical data suggest that a sequence of hydrolysis reactions produces oxide hydrides of trivalent plutonium, Pu{sub 2}O{sub 3}, mixed-valent oxides and PuO{sub 2}. The intermediate oxides are the n {equals} 7, 9, 10 and 12 members of the Pu{sub n}O{sub 2n{minus}2} homologous series. Properties of the residue formed by thermal decomposition of the initial hydrolysis product, plutonium monoxide monhydride (PuOH), are consistent with the formation of metastable plutonium monoxide. Crystal-chemical, thermodynamic, and kinetic factors are evaluated, but definitive assignment of the equilibrium Pu-O diagram is not possible. 22 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6952196
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-90-2567; CONF-900846-1; ON: DE90014980; TRN: 90-027843
• Resource Relation: Conference: International symposium to commemorate the 50th anniversary of discovery of transuranium elements, Washington, DC (USA), 26-31 Aug 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
OXYGEN
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
CERIUM
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
HYDROLYSIS
PRASEODYMIUM
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
WATER
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DECOMPOSITION
DIAGRAMS
DIFFRACTION
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LYSIS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
RARE EARTHS
SCATTERING
SOLVOLYSIS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
360102* - Metals & Alloys- Structure & Phase Studies
360202 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Structure & Phase Studies
400702 - Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry- Properties of Radioactive Materials