Characterization of phase assemblage and distribution in titanate ceramics with SEM/EDS and x-ray mapping.
Titanate ceramics have been selected for the immobilization of excess plutonium. The baseline ceramic formulation leads to a multi-phase assemblage, which consists of a majority pyrochlore phase plus secondary phases. The phase distribution depends on processing conditions and impurity loading. In this paper, we report on the characterization of the phase assemblage and distribution in titanate ceramics using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray dot mapping. Two titanate ceramics were studied a baseline ceramic and a ceramic with impurities. In the baseline ceramic, the secondary phases that were observed include zirconolite, brannerite, and rutile. Additional phases, such as perovskite, an Al-Ti-Ca phase, and a silicate phase, formed in the impurity ceramic. The distribution of these phases was characterized with backscattered electron (BSE) imaging, except for zirconolite. While the zirconolite exhibited weak contrasts in BSE images and could not be easily distinguished from the pyrochlore matrix, its distribution was effectively characterized with x-ray mapping. Quantitative analyses of BSE images and x-ray maps reveal that the impurity ceramic contains less brannerite, rutile, and pores than the baseline ceramic.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 11160
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/CMT/CP-97833; TRN: US0104327
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Ceramic Society 101st Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN (US), 04/25/1999--04/28/1999; Other Information: PBD: 16 Jun 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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