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Title: Structural damage in a self-irradiated zirconolite-based ceramic

Abstract

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.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
6098614
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-83-1473; CONF-830573-3
Journal ID: ISSN 0168-583X; ON: DE83014171
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Journal Volume: 1; Journal Issue: 2-3; Conference: 2. international conference on radiation effects in insulators, Albuquerque, NM, USA, 30 May 1983
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; SYNROC PROCESS; PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; ZIRCONOLITE; CRACKS; CUBIC LATTICES; MONOCLINIC LATTICES; PLUTONIUM 238; SELF-IRRADIATION; SWELLING; TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CALCIUM COMPOUNDS; CALCIUM OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; CRYSTAL LATTICES; CRYSTAL STRUCTURE; ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; HEAVY NUCLEI; IRON COMPOUNDS; IRON OXIDES; IRRADIATION; ISOTOPES; MANAGEMENT; MICROSCOPY; MINERALS; NUCLEI; OXIDE MINERALS; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; PROCESSING; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; RADIOISOTOPES; THORIUM COMPOUNDS; THORIUM OXIDES; TITANIUM COMPOUNDS; TITANIUM OXIDES; TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE PROCESSING; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS; ZIRCONIUM OXIDES; 360605* - Materials- Radiation Effects; 052000 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Management

Citation Formats

Clinard, Jr, F W, Rohr, D L, and Roof, R B. Structural damage in a self-irradiated zirconolite-based ceramic. United States: N. p., 1983. Web. doi:10.1016/0168-583X(84)90127-7.
Clinard, Jr, F W, Rohr, D L, & Roof, R B. Structural damage in a self-irradiated zirconolite-based ceramic. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583X(84)90127-7
Clinard, Jr, F W, Rohr, D L, and Roof, R B. 1983. "Structural damage in a self-irradiated zirconolite-based ceramic". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583X(84)90127-7. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6098614.
@article{osti_6098614,
title = {Structural damage in a self-irradiated zirconolite-based ceramic},
author = {Clinard, Jr, F W and Rohr, D L and Roof, R B},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1016/0168-583X(84)90127-7},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6098614}, journal = {},
issn = {0168-583X},
number = 2-3,
volume = 1,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983}
}

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