Spinel ferrite compounds continue to receive a lot of attention due to their unique properties. Among the numerous synthesis routes existing, the solid-state method was applied for the production of nickel ferrite, by introducing the use of a quartz vial. A mixture of nickel oxide (NiO) and hematite (Fe2O3) was ground and vacuum-sealed in the vial and different thermal treatment programs were tested. The resulting particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. For temperatures, below 1000 °C, the solid-state reaction is not complete as nickel oxide (NiO) and hematite (Fe2O3) are still present. The reaction time is a decisive parameter for the morphology of the particles obtained. If, for different reaction times, the particle size distribution is always between 0.3 and 1.7 µm, a longer reaction time leads to the formation of dense, interconnected clusters of particles. Optimal parameters to synthesize a pure phase of spherical nickel ferrite were sought and found to be a reaction temperature of 1000 °C for 72 h.

The PACTITER code derives from the PACTOLE code, developed by the CEA for predicting activated corrosion products (ACPs) in PWR primary circuits. The operating conditions, material compositions and water chemistry of the various Primary Heat Transfer Systems (PHTS) of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) made mandatory the adaptation of the PACTOLE code.PACTITER was developed on the basis of dedicated experiments, namely devoted to determine copper solubility and stainless steel release in the ITER primary cooling systems conditions, which are rather different from those in PWR (i.e. water chemistry and temperatures). The PACTITER code has been extensively used in support of the ITER Generic Site Safety Report (GSSR) in the field of accident analysis and worker collective dose assessment.

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