EFRC Materials Science of Actinides (Final Report)

Technical Report · Thu Jan 23 04:00:00 EST 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1581399· OSTI ID:1581399

Burns, Peter C. ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States); University of Notre Dame

The Energy Frontier Research Center Materials Science of Actinides (MSA) conducted basic research from 2009-2019. The scientific personnel and participating institutes changed several times during the evolution of the Center, and in total included 24 senior investigators, four national laboratories, and ten universities. Workforce development was a motivating goal of the university-led Center, which included many undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral researchers. The center focused on the actinide elements, which arise from the sequential filling of the 5f electron orbitals. Although the specific themes evolved during the Center’s history, the final research themes were: (1) Nanoscale Cage Clusters, (2) Complex Ceramic and Metallic Materials, and (3) Materials Under Extreme Environments. To date, the Center has produced 254 peer-reviewed journal publications and book chapters that acknowledged only the EFRC funding, and an additional 161 journal publications and book chapters that acknowledged funding from the EFRC and additional sources (a few manuscripts are still in preparation). Broad highlights include: (1) Development of an extensive family of actinide nanomaterials that self-assemble in aqueous solution, an understanding of their formation mechanisms and stabilities, and possible uses in nuclear fuel cycles; (2) Establishment of facilities and methodologies to conduct high-temperature calorimetry on transuranium materials, and extensive thermodynamic-based studies of uranium and thorium compounds important to the nuclear fuel cycle; (3) A vastly improved understanding of the behavior of actinide materials in extreme conditions, including high radiation fields, temperatures, and pressures, as well coupled effects of two or more of these; (4) Development of resonance ultrasound spectroscopy and direct measurement of aging of plutonium alloys.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• DOE Contract Number: SC0001089
• OSTI ID: 1581399
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY