Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2pzkn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-10T06:40:01.080Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Study of Natural Metamict Yttrium Niobate as Analogue of Actinide Ceramic Waste Form

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2014

Cao Qiuxiang
Affiliation:
East China Institute of Technology, Guanglan Road, 418, 330013, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya emb. 7/9, 199034, St.-Petersburg, Russia
Anton I. Isakov
Affiliation:
Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya emb. 7/9, 199034, St.-Petersburg, Russia V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute, 2-nd Murinskiy Ave. 28, 194021, St.-Petersburg, Russia
Liu Xiaodong
Affiliation:
East China Institute of Technology, Guanglan Road, 418, 330013, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
Sergey V. Krivovichev
Affiliation:
Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya emb. 7/9, 199034, St.-Petersburg, Russia
Boris E. Burakov
Affiliation:
V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute, 2-nd Murinskiy Ave. 28, 194021, St.-Petersburg, Russia
Get access

Abstract

Natural metamict mineral found as large (1-3 cm in size) homogeneous grains (as assumed, former single crystals), was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (pXRD), high-temperature pXRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron microprobe analysis (EMPA). The average chemical composition obtained by EMPA is (wt. %): Nb2O5 – 42.6; Ta2O5 – 4.4; TiO2 – 9.2; UO3 – 4.4; ThO2 – 1.0; MnO – 1.3; FeO – 19.4; Y2O3 – 16.6.

The untreated (original) sample is X-ray amorphous. The sample remained amorphous after annealing at 400 °C for 1 hour. The sample became almost fully crystalline after annealing at 700 °C for 1 hour with an X-ray diffraction pattern similar to that of Fe-columbite (ICCD: 01-074-7356). Further annealing at 1000 °C and higher temperatures caused changes in the phase composition of the sample. It was proposed that under self-irradiation a single-phase U-Th-bearing solid solution, based on monocrystalline Y-niobate, became metamict but remained homogeneous without evidence of solid solution destruction. However, this metamict solid solution is unstable under thermal treatment and recrystallization.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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.)

References

REFERENCES

Ewing, R.C., Chakoumakos, B.C., Lumpkin, G.R., Murakami, T.. Mater. Res. Soc. Bull. 12(4). 5866 (1987).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malczewski, D., Frackowiak, J.E., Galuskin, E.V.. Hyperfine Interact. 166:529536 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ewing, R.C.. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B91, 2229 (1994).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ewing, R.C. and Haaker, R.F., Nucl, and Chem. Waste Management 1, 51 (1980).10.1016/0191-815X(80)90028-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ewing, R.C., Chakoumakos, B.C., Lumpkin, G.R., Murakami, T., Greegor, R.B., Lytle, F.W.. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B32, 487497 (1988).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lumpkin, G.R., Ewing, R.C.. Phys Chem Minerals. 16:220 (1988).10.1007/BF00201325CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meldrum, A., Boatner, L.A., Weber, W.J., Ewing, R.C., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 62, 2509 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weber, W.J., Ewing, R.C., Catlow, C.R.A., Diaz de la Rubia, T., Hobbs, L.W., Kinoshita, C., Matzke, Hj., Motta, A.T., Nastasi, M., Salje, E.H.K., Vance, E.R. and Zinkle, S.J.. J. Mat. Res. 13, 14341484 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ewing, R.C.. Mineral. Mag. 40:89899 (1976).CrossRefGoogle Scholar