High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U-Np-Pu-Am-Zr alloy

doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.12.016

Title: High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U-Np-Pu-Am-Zr alloy

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Abstract

Structural, microstructural, and microchemical data were collected from rare-earth inclusions in an as-cast U-Pu-Zr alloy with ~3 at% Am, 2% Np, and 9% rare-earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, and Nd). Two RE phases with different concentrations of Am were identified. The composition of high-Am RE inclusions is ~2-5 at% La, 15-20 % Ce, 5-10% Pr, 25-45% Nd, 1% Np, 5-10% Pu, and 10-20% Am. Some areas also have O, although this does not appear to be an essential part of the high-Am RE phase. The inclusions have a face-centered cubic structure with a lattice parameter a ~ 0.54 nm. The composition of the only low-Am RE inclusion studied in detail is ~~35-40 at% O, 40-45 % Nd, 1-2% Zr, 4-5% La, 9-10% Ce, and 6-7% Pr. This inclusion is an oxide with a crystal structure similar to the room-temperature structure of Nd ₂O ₃. Microstructural features suggest that oxidation occurred during casting, and that early crystallization of high-temperature oxides led to formation of two distinct RE phases.

Authors:

Janney, Dawn E. ^[1]; Madden, James W. ^[1]; O'Holleran, Thomas P. ^[1]; Kennedy, J. Rory ^[1]

Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Publication Date:: 2015-03-01

Research Org.:: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1177623

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-14-33203
Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115; TRN: US1500056

DOE Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Journal of Nuclear Materials

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 458; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; FCC LATTICES; INCLUSIONS; Alloy Nuclear Fuels; Transmutation; Uranium Alloys; Plutonium Alloys; Neptunium Alloys; Americium Alloys; Zirconium Alloys; Lanthanum Alloys; Cerium Alloys; Praseodymium Alloys; Neodymium Alloys; Neodymium Oxides; Zirconium Oxides; Lanthanum Oxides; Cerium Oxides; Praseodymium Oxides; CASTING; CONCENTRATION RATIO; CRYSTALLIZATION; Crystal Structure; MICROSTRUCTURE; OXIDATION; LATTICE PARAMETERS; AM PHASES; NUCLEAR FUELS; RARE-EARTH PHASES; U-PU-ZR ALLOYS

Citation Formats


                    Janney, Dawn E., Madden, James W., O'Holleran, Thomas P., and Kennedy, J. Rory. High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U-Np-Pu-Am-Zr alloy.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
        Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.12.016.

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                    Janney, Dawn E., Madden, James W., O'Holleran, Thomas P., & Kennedy, J. Rory. High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U-Np-Pu-Am-Zr alloy.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.12.016

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                    Janney, Dawn E., Madden, James W., O'Holleran, Thomas P., and Kennedy, J. Rory. Sun .  
        "High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U-Np-Pu-Am-Zr alloy".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.12.016.

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@article{osti_1177623,

  title        = {High- and low-Am RE inclusion phases in a U-Np-Pu-Am-Zr alloy},

  author       = {Janney, Dawn E. and Madden, James W. and O'Holleran, Thomas P. and Kennedy, J. Rory},

  abstractNote = {Structural, microstructural, and microchemical data were collected from rare-earth inclusions in an as-cast U-Pu-Zr alloy with ~3 at% Am, 2% Np, and 9% rare-earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, and Nd). Two RE phases with different concentrations of Am were identified. The composition of high-Am RE inclusions is ~2-5 at% La, 15-20 % Ce, 5-10% Pr, 25-45% Nd, 1% Np, 5-10% Pu, and 10-20% Am. Some areas also have O, although this does not appear to be an essential part of the high-Am RE phase. The inclusions have a face-centered cubic structure with a lattice parameter a ~ 0.54 nm. The composition of the only low-Am RE inclusion studied in detail is ~~35-40 at% O, 40-45 % Nd, 1-2% Zr, 4-5% La, 9-10% Ce, and 6-7% Pr. This inclusion is an oxide with a crystal structure similar to the room-temperature structure of Nd2O3. Microstructural features suggest that oxidation occurred during casting, and that early crystallization of high-temperature oxides led to formation of two distinct RE phases.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.12.016},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1177623},
  journal      = {Journal of Nuclear Materials},

  issn         = {0022-3115},

  number       = ,

  volume       = 458,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2015},

  month        = {3}

}

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