Evaluation of erbia as molten plutonium containment material
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
The compatibility between erbium oxide and molten cerium, as a surrogate for plutonium, was investigated to understand the high temperature corrosion mechanisms and to provide kinetic data. The corrosion kinetic data was compared with the data obtained from compatibility tests of erbium oxide in molten plutonium. High density erbium oxide was immersed in molten cerium at temperatures ranging from 850 to 975 C for 16 to 128 hours. For both cerium and plutonium systems, a parabolic rate dependence for corrosion scale formation was observed as well as intergranular penetration of cerium into erbium oxide was noted. Activation energies for the complete corrosion process calculated for cerium and plutonium systems are 38.5 and 24.2 kCal/mole, respectively. Two reaction layers formed for the cerium system, viz., cerium oxide particle layer and a layer of erbium oxide-cerium oxide solid solution. An additional third layer, possibly a ternary, was observed for the erbia immersion in molten plutonium. The work was intended to develop material systems for the containment and processing of radioactive materials.
- OSTI ID:
- 372093
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960202--; ISBN 0-87339-312-0
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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