Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
9781826 Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids 2005 6 Pages PDF
Abstract
This paper describes the solid solubility of uranium in gadolinium zirconate (Gd2Zr2O7), a candidate crystalline matrix to immobilize actinide elements present in radioactive wastes. A series of uranium-containing gadolinium zirconate compositions were prepared by the citric acid-ethylene glycol resin precursor method. The final heat treatment was carried out at 1673 K in air. It was found that up to 40 at.% uranium could be incorporated at the Gd position. The pyrochlore ordering of the zirconate phase was lost above approximately 10 at.% uranium, and the structure transformed to fluorite. At the Zr position, the whole of Zr could be replaced by uranium, with its end member of mixed uranium-gadolinium oxide with fluorite structure. The oxidation state of uranium in the solid solutions was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Materials Science Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
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