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The Replacement of Titanium by Zirconium in Ceramics for Plutonium Immobilization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

M.W.A. Stewart ,
B.D. Begg ,
E.R. Vance ,
K. Finnie ,
H. Li ,
G.R. Lumpkin ,
K.L. Smith ,
W.J. Weber  and
S. Thevuthasan
M.W.A. Stewart
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, NSW 2234, Australia
B.D. Begg
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, NSW 2234, Australia
E.R. Vance
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, NSW 2234, Australia
K. Finnie
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, NSW 2234, Australia
H. Li
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, NSW 2234, Australia
G.R. Lumpkin
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, NSW 2234, Australia
K.L. Smith
Affiliation:
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, NSW 2234, Australia
W.J. Weber
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
S. Thevuthasan
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
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Abstract

Zirconates and titanates, based on the nominal baseline composition developed for the Plutonium Immobilization Project (PIP), have been prepared with and without process impurities. The titanates form pyrochlore as the major phase and the zirconates form a defectfluorite. Little, if any, of each impurity is accommodated in the defect-fluorite and powellite, kimzeyite, a spinel and a silicate glass appear as extra phases in this ceramic. In the titanates the pyrochlore incorporates more impurities, with the remainder being accomodated in zirconolite and a small amount of silicate glass. At extremly high levels of impurities, traces of magnetoplumbite, perovskite, and loveringite were found. The defect-fluorite zirconate phase is more radiation damage resistant than the titanate pyrochlore, though the secondary phases in the zirconate will reduce the radiation damage resistance of zirconate monoliths. To produce a dense product the oxide-route zirconate required sintering temperatures of about 1550°C, 200°C higher than that required for the titanate. Silicate impurities reduce the sintering temperatures.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 713: Symposium JJ – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXV , 2002 , JJ2.5
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

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