Structural damage in a self-irradiated zirconolite-based ceramic

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583X(84)90127-7· OSTI ID:6098614

Clinard, Jr, F W; Rohr, D L; Roof, R B

The zirconolite phase of SYNROC nuclear waste was fabricated with 5 mol % /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ substituted for a like amount of ZrO/sub 2/, in order to induce self-irradiation damage. The resulting product exhibited a matrix of monoclinic zirconolite containing approx. 3.8 mol % PuO/sub 2/ along with roughly 20 vol % of the cubic polymorph with approximately twice the PuO/sub 2/ content of the matrix. After a dose of 2.1 x 10/sup 25/ ..cap alpha.. decays/m/sup 3/ at room temperature (800 days' storage), swelling reached 5.5 vol % and neared saturation. The monoclinic phase became x-ray metamict at approx. 1.0 x 10/sup 25/ ..cap alpha../m/sup 3/ after slight atomic rearrangement within the crystalline material. Periodic TEM examination revealed a gradual evolution from the crystalline state to an amorphous condition with residual crystallites, consistent with a model involving conversion by alpha recoil tracks. Optical metallography showed extensive microcracking, attributed to differences in swelling rates of the two zirconolite polymorphs. 7 figures.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6098614
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-83-1473; CONF-830573-3; ON: DE83014171
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360605* -- Materials-- Radiation Effects
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CRACKS
CRYSTAL LATTICES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CUBIC LATTICES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON OXIDES
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MICROSCOPY
MINERALS
MONOCLINIC LATTICES
NUCLEI
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PROCESSING
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
SELF-IRRADIATION
SWELLING
SYNROC PROCESS
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
THORIUM OXIDES
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TITANIUM OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES
ZIRCONOLITE