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Plutonium Silicate Alteration Phases Produced by Aqueous Corrosion of Borosilicate Glass

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

J. A. Fortner
Affiliation:
Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439
C. J. Mertz
Affiliation:
Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439
A. J. Bakel
Affiliation:
Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439
R. J. Finch
Affiliation:
Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439
D. B. Chamberlain
Affiliation:
Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439
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Abstract

Borosilicate glasses loaded with ∼10 wt % plutonium were found to produce plutonium-silicate alteration phases upon aqueous corrosion under a range of conditions. The phases observed were generally rich in lanthanide (Ln) elements and were related to the lanthanide orthosilicate phases of the monoclinic Ln2SiO5 type. The composition of the phases was variable regarding [Ln]/[Pu] ratio, depending upon type of corrosion test and on the location within the alteration layer. The formation of these phases likely has implications for the incorporation of plutonium into silicate alteration phases during corrosion of titanate ceramics, high-level waste glasses, and spent nuclear fuel.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

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