Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
Zirconolite-rich ceramics, containing strontium (∼1 wt.%) or uranium (5-20 wt.%) were prepared by cold pressing of mechanically activated oxide powders and sintering in air at 1200 TC for 2 hours. They were examined with XRD, optical and electron microscopy (SEM/TEM/EDS) methods. Zirconolite content in the samples was found to be as much as 85-90 vol.%, Baddeleyite, rutile, and perovskite (in the Sr-containing sample only) were present as minor phases. In the U-containing samples, two zirconolite varieties with different Zr/U ratio were found: zirconolite-1 and zirconolite-2 with average compositions Ca0.90Zr0.95U0.10Ti2.00O7.00, and Ca1.15Zr0.40U0.50Ti2.02O7.00 respectively. The amount of zirconolite-2 increases from ∼1 vol.% in the sample with the lowest uranium content to >50 vol.% in the sample containing ∼20 % U02. In the latter sample about 5 vol.% of cubic pyrochlore-type phase was also present.