Structure and phase stability of a Pu-0.32Â wt% Ga alloy

In plutonium-gallium (Pu-Ga) alloys that have a Ga content of 0.3-0.4 wt%, their readiness to transform to α′ renders them of particular interest in efforts to understand the tenuous nature of δ phase stability. The present study is a comprehensive examination of the structure and phase stability of a cast Pu-0.32 wt% Ga alloy, the Ga content being close to the minimum amount needed to retain the δ phase to ambient temperature. The alloy was characterised in both the as-cast condition as well as following a homogenising heat treatment. The 250-h heat treatment at 450 °C was shown to achieve an apparently stable δ-Pu phase. However, the stability of the δ-Pu phase was shown to be marginal: partial transformation to α′-Pu was observed when the alloy was subjected to hydrostatic compression. Similar transformation was also apparent during metallographic preparation as well as during hardness indentation. The results provide new understanding of the nature of δ phase stability.