Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T11:46:16.690Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

TEM study of alpha-damaged plutonium and americium dioxides

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2015

Thierry Wiss ,
Oliver Dieste-Blanco ,
Anca Tacu ,
Arne Janssen ,
Zeynep Talip ,
Jean-Yves Colle ,
Philippe Martin  and
Rudy Konings
Thierry Wiss
Affiliation:
Materials Research Unit, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe 76125, Germany
Oliver Dieste-Blanco*
Affiliation:
Materials Research Unit, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe 76125, Germany
Anca Tacu
Affiliation:
Materials Research Unit, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe 76125, Germany
Arne Janssen
Affiliation:
Materials Research Unit, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe 76125, Germany
Zeynep Talip
Affiliation:
Materials Research Unit, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe 76125, Germany
Jean-Yves Colle
Affiliation:
Materials Research Unit, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe 76125, Germany
Philippe Martin
Affiliation:
CEA, DEN, DEC, Centre d’études nucléaires de Cadarache, Saint Paul Lez Durance 13108, France
Rudy Konings
Affiliation:
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Karlsruhe 76125, Germany
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: Oliver.DIESTE-BLANCO@ec.europa.eu
Get access

Abstract

Actinide-based nuclear ceramics, oxides particularly, are not only used as fuel in nuclear power reactors (uranium and plutonium) but are also used/envisaged as materials for electrical power sources in space probes (plutonium or americium). These actinides are all alpha-emitters, some having rather short half-lives. As a result of their strong alpha-activity, the actinide-based materials cumulate radiation damage and radiogenic helium. The stability of such materials needs to be assessed and understood for predicting the long-term stability of not only spent fuel in storage/disposal conditions but also of electrical power sources to be used in space probes. This paper describes the specific transmission electron microscope microstructure analyses of aged 238PuO2, 238Pu-doped UO2 (to simulate aged spent nuclear fuel), and of 241AmO2 samples (candidate electrical power source) and makes the correlation of the observed defects with other properties like helium thermal desorption and lattice parameter. It is shown that these fluorite structured materials resist to high alpha-damage levels and can accommodate large quantities of helium.

Keywords

radiation effectsactinidesmicrostructure
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 30 , Issue 9: Focus Issue: Characterization and Modeling of Radiation Damage on Materials: State of the Art, Challenges, and Protocols , 14 May 2015 , pp. 1544 - 1554
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

b)

Present address: The University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

c)

Present address: Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energie Alternatives, Centre de Marcoule, B.P. 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France

Contributing Editor: William J. Weber

References

REFERENCES

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute: SIPRI Yearbook 2013: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security (Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 2013).Google Scholar
Mors, L.R.: Plutonium and plutonium compounds. In Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (John Wiley & Sons, 2000).Google Scholar
Ferry, C., Poinssot, C., Cappelaere, C., Desgranges, L., Jegou, C., Miserque, F., Piron, J.P., Roudil, D., and Gras, J-M.: Specific outcomes of the research on the spent fuel long-term evolution in interim dry storage and deep geological disposal. J. Nucl. Mater. 352, 246–253 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feiveson, H., Mian, Z., Ramana, M.V., and von Hippel, F., eds.: Managing Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors (International Panel on Fissile Materials, Princeton, 2011).Google Scholar
Ferry, C., Piron, J-P., and Ambard, A.: Effect of helium on the microstructure of spent fuel in a repository: An operational approach. J. Nucl. Mater. 407, 100–109 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rondinella, V.V., Matzke, H., Cobos, J., and Wiss, T.: Leaching behaviour of UO2 containing alpha-emitting actinides. Radiochim. Acta 88, 527–531 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Brien, R.C., Ambrosi, R.M., Bannister, N.P., Howe, S.D., and Atkinson, H.V.: Safe radioisotope thermoelectric generators and heat sources for space applications. J. Nucl. Mater. 377, 506–521 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
El-Genk, M. and Tournier, J.M.: Performance analysis of coated plutonia particle fuel compact for radioisotope heater units. Nucl. Eng. Des. 208, 29–50 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hand, E.: Comet rendezvous. Science 346, 1442–1443 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prelas, M., weaver, C., Watermann, M., Lukosi, E., Schott, R., and Wisniewski, D.: A review of nuclear batteries. Prog. Nucl. Energy 75, 117–149 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, S.R., Bell, K.J., Brown, J., Carrigan, C., Carrott, M.J., Gregson, C., Clough, M., Maber, C.J., Mason, C., Rhodes, C.J., Rice, T.G., Sarsfield, M.J., Stephenson, K., Taylor, R.J., Tinsley, T.P., Woodhead, D.A., and Wiss, T.: Progress on 241Am production for use in radioisotope power systems. In Proceedings of the 10th European Space Power Conference, Ouwehand, L. ed.; European Space Agency: Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, 2014.Google Scholar
Prieur, D., Jankowiak, A., Roudil, D., Dubois, S., Leorier, C., Herlet, N., Dehaudt, P., Laval, J.P., and Blanchart, P.: Self-irradiation effects in dense and tailored porosity U1−yAmyO2−x compounds. J. Nucl. Mater. 411, 15–19 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lebreton, F., Martin, P.M., Horlait, D., Bès, R., Scheinost, A.C., Rossberg, A., Delahaye, T., and VBlanchart, P.: New insight into self-irradiation effects on local and long-range structure of uranium–americium mixed oxides (through XAS and XRD). Inorg. Chem. 53, 9531–9540 (2014).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Staicu, D., Wiss, T., Rondinella, V.V., Hiernaut, J.P., Konings, R.J.M., and Ronchi, C.: Impact of auto-irradiation on the thermophysical properties of oxide nuclear reactor fuels. J. Nucl. Mater. 397, 8–18 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matzke, H.: Radiation enhanced diffusion in UO2 and (U, Pu)O2. Radiat. Eff. 75, 317 (1983).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiss, T. and Konings, R.J.M.: Radiation effects in actinide compounds with the fluorite structure. In Properties of Fluorite Structure Materials, Vajda, P. and Costantini, J-M. eds.; NOVA: New York, 2013; pp. 153–188.Google Scholar
Wiss, T. and Konings, R.J.M., Editor-in-Chief: Radiation effects in UO2 . In Comprehensive Nuclear Materials, Elsevier: Oxford, 2012; pp. 465–480.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurtgen, C. and Fuger, J.: Self-irradiation effects in americium oxides. Inorg. Nucl. Chem. Lett. 13, 179–188 (1977).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nellis, W.J.: The effect of self-radiation on crystal volume. Inorg. Nucl. Chem. Lett. 13, 393–398 (1977).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmidt, H.E., Richter, J., Matzke, H., and Van Geel, J.: The effect of self-irradiation on the thermal conductivity of plutonium and americium oxides. In Thermal Conductivity 22, Tong, T.W. ed.; Technoic Publ. Co.: Lancaster, PA, 1994; pp. 920–925.Google Scholar
Boucher, R. and Quere, Y.: Sources d'ênergie au plutonium pour stimulateurs cardiaques. J. Nucl. Mater. 100, 132–136 (1981).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alais, M., Berger, R., Boucher, R., Gasper, K.A., and Laurens, P.: Plutonium-238-fueled cardiac pacemaker. Nucl. Technol. 26, 307 (1974).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rondinella, V.V., Cobos, J., Matzke, H., Wiss, T., Carbol, P., and Solatie, D.: Leaching behavior and alpha-decay damage accumulation of UO2 containing short-lived actinides. Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 663, 391–398 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rondinella, V.V., Cobos, J., and Wiss, T.: Leaching behaviour of low activity alpha-doped UO2. Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 824, 167–173 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiss, T., Hiernaut, J.P., Roudil, D., Colle, J.Y., Maugeri, E., Talip, Z., Janssen, A., Rondinella, V.V., Konings, R.J.M., Matzke, H., and Weber, W.: Evolution of spent fuel in dry storage conditions for millennia and beyond. J. Nucl. Mater. 451, 198–206 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colle, J.Y., Maugeri, E., Thiriet, C., Talip, Z., Capone, F., Hiernaut, J.P., Konings, R.J.M., and Wiss, T.: A mass spectrometry method for quantitative and kinetic analysis of gas release from nuclear materials and its application to helium desorption from UO2 and fission gas release from irradiated fuel. J. Nucl. Sci. Technol. 51, 700–711 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fernandez, A., Richter, K., and Somers, J.: Fabrication of transmutation and incineration targets by infiltration of porous pellets by radioactive solutions. J. Alloys Compd. 271, 616–619 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prieur, D., Vigier, J-F., Wiss, T., Janssen, A., Rothe, J., Cambriani, A., and Somers, J.: Structural investigation of self-irradiation damaged AmO2 . J. Solid State Chem. 212, 7–12 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ziegler, J.F., Biersack, J.P., and Littmark, U.: The Stopping and Range of Ions in Solids (Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1985).Google Scholar
Wiss, T., Thiele, H., Janssen, A., Papaioannou, D., Rondinella, V.V., and Konings, R.J.M.: Recent results of microstructural characterization of irradiated light water reactor fuels using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. JOM 64, 1390–1395 (2013).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Brutzel, L. and Rarivomanantsoa, M.: Molecular dynamics simulation study of primary damage in UO2 produced by cascade overlaps. J. Nucl. Mater. 358, 209–216 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scherrer, P.: Bestimmung der Größe und der inneren Struktur von Kolloidteilchen mittels Röntgenstrahlen. Göttinger Nachrichten Gesell. 2, 98 (1918).Google Scholar
Casalta, S., Matzke, H., and Prunier, C.: A thermodynamic properties study of the americium-oxygen system. In Global 1995, Paris, France, ANS, ed.; pp. 1667–1674 (1995).Google Scholar
Chikalla, T.D. and Eyring, L.: Phase relationships in the americium-oxygen system. J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem. 30, 133 (1968).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weber, W.: Alpha-irradiation damage in CeO2, UO2 and PuO2 . Radiat Eff. 83, 145–156 (1984).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, P., Ripert, M., Carlot, G., Parent, P., and Laffon, C.: A study of molybdenum behaviour in UO2 by x-ray absorption spectroscopy. J. Nucl. Mater. 326, 132–143 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tobin, J.G. and Yu, S-W.: Orbital specificity in the unoccupied states of UO2 from resonant inverse photoelectron spectroscopy. Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 167406 (2011).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wu, Z.Y., Jollet, F., Gota, S., Thromat, N., Gautier-Soyer, M., and Petit, T.: X-ray absorption at the oxygen K edge in cubic f oxides examined using a full multiple-scattering approach. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 11, 7185–7194 (1999).Google Scholar
He, L-F., Gupta, M., Yablinsky, C.A., Gan, J., Kirk, M.A., Bai, X-M., Pakarinen, J., and Allen, T.R.: In situ TEM observation of dislocation evolution in Kr-irradiated UO2 single crystal. J. Nucl. Mater. 443, 71–77 (2013).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Talip, Z., Wiss, T., Di Marcello, V., Janssen, A., Colle, J.Y., Van Uffelen, P., Raison, P., and Konings, R.J.M.: Thermal diffusion of helium in 238Pu-doped UO2 . J. Nucl. Mater. 445, 117–127 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jonnet, J., Van Uffelen, P., Wiss, T., Staicu, D., Rémy, B., and Rest, J.: Growth mechanisms of interstitial loops in α-doped UO2 samples. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. B 266, 3008–3012 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thiriet, C. and Konings, R.J.M.: Chemical thermodynamic representation of AmO2−x . J. Nucl. Mater. 320, 292–298 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar