Additional complexity in the Raman spectra of U₃O₈

Journal Article · Tue Sep 10 00:00:00 UTC 2019 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.151790· OSTI ID:1564193

Miskowiec, Andrew ^[1]; Niedziela, Jennifer L. ^[1]; Spano, Tyler L. ^[1]; Ambrogio, Michael W. ^[1]; Finkeldei, Sarah ^[1]; Hunt, Rodney Dale ^[1]; Shields, Ashley E. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Uranium oxides are readily amenable to investigation using Raman spectroscopy, and this approach is frequently used as a chemical analysis tool. We show, in triuranium octoxide (U₃O₈), the presence of previously unreported Raman peaks located below 100 cm^₋1. By maximum intensity, the strongest peak in U₃O₈ appears at 54 cm^₋1 and is resolution limited, making this mode an ideal candidate for chemically identifying U₃O₈ using Raman spectroscopy. Detailed peak analysis suggests that the main spectral feature between 300 and 500 cm^₋1 is more accurately described by a septet than a triplet. Two samples of differing oxygen content show only minor differences in bulk crystal structure, but subtle changes in lattice dynamics are suggestive of defect scattering in analogy to UO_2+x.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1564193
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1775998
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Journal Issue: C Vol. 527; ISSN 0022-3115
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
Raman spectroscopy
U3O8
Uranium oxides