Energetics of metastudtite and implications for nuclear waste alteration

Guo, Xiaofeng; Ushakov, Sergey V.; Labs, Sabrina; Curtius, Hildegard; Bosbach, Dirk; Navrotsky, Alexandra

doi:10.1073/pnas.1421144111

Energetics of metastudtite and implications for nuclear waste alteration

Journal Article · Sun Nov 23 23:00:00 EST 2014 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1421144111· OSTI ID:1235149

Guo, Xiaofeng ^[1]; Ushakov, Sergey V. ^[2]; Labs, Sabrina ^[3]; Curtius, Hildegard ^[3]; Bosbach, Dirk ^[3]; Navrotsky, Alexandra ^[2]

Peter A. Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory and Nanomaterials in the Environment, Agriculture and Technology Organized Research Unit and, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, and
Peter A. Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory and Nanomaterials in the Environment, Agriculture and Technology Organized Research Unit and
Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-6), Nuclear Waste Management, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany

Significance

Uranium peroxides, metastudtite and studtite, can be formed on exposure of UO ₂ based nuclear fuels to water during geological disposal or as a result of reactor accidents. We report detailed structural and thermochemical analysis of the metastudtite decomposition process. The thermodynamic data confirm the irreversible transformation from studtite to metastudtite and show that metastudtite can be a major oxidized corrosion product at the surface of UO ₂ and contribute a significant pathway to dissolution. The prevalence of metastudtite may require additional tailoring of waste forms to minimize this dissolution pathway for uranium.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0001089

OSTI ID:: 1235149

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1210536
OSTI ID: 1385677

Journal Information:: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Issue: 50 Vol. 111; ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:: Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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