Micro-analytical Investigations on Actinide (Am, Cm) Reference Materials

Ritter, Xenia; Pöml, P.; Stephan, Bremier; Berndt, Jasper

doi:10.1017/s1431927614010824

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…In addition, under 50 nA of current for 200 seconds, the sample demonstrated no visible damage, unlike LnP 5 O 14 specimens, which exhibit obvious pitting with a 20 nA, 30 second, diffuse beam. While the PuPO 4 is slightly less homogeneous than the PuO 2 previously prepared and analysed by the Institute for Transuranium Elements (level of homogeneity of 0.12 [17]), the Pu oxidation state in PuPO 4 is extremely stable at temperatures < 1,000 °C and in oxygen atmospheres. In addition, oxide standards often have small grains and are more porous than PuPO 4 , which makes finding suitable analysis locations difficult.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 76%

Synthesis and characterisation of PuPO₄ - a potential analytical standard for EPMA actinide quantification

Wright

Popa

Pöml

2018

IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng.

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Abstract. Transmutation nuclear fuels contain weight percentage quantities of actinide elements, including Pu, Am and Np. Because of the complex spectra presented by actinide elements using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), it is necessary to have relatively pure actinide element standards to facilitate overlap correction and accurate quantitation. Synthesis of actinide oxide standards is complicated by their multiple oxidation states, which can result in inhomogeneous standards or standards that are not stable at atmospheric conditions. Synthesis of PuPO 4 results in a specimen that exhibits stable oxidation-reduction chemistry and is sufficiently homogenous to serve as an EPMA standard. This approach shows promise as a method for producing viable actinide standards for microanalysis. IntroductionNuclear fuels are being developed for next-generation nuclear reactors (GEN-IV) that have the ability to burn Pu, Am, and Np from spent nuclear fuels. Upon irradiation, these so-called transmutation fuels convert long-lived minor actinide elements (MA) to shorter-lived fission products, thereby decreasing the radiotoxicity and heat load of spent nuclear fuel.The thermodynamic behaviour of MA is unlike that of uranium in conventional nuclear fuels. Moreover there is much greater variation in the chemical and isotopic composition of transmutation fuels, such that they cannot be considered to be a simple extension of extant fuels [1].Because of these features, considerable research and development is required for both fabrication and analysis of transmutation fuels. Integral to the fabrication and analysis of irradiated fuel is electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). This technique has been used since at least 1961 [2] for the analysis of nuclear fuels because wavelength dispersive spectrometers permit better separation of complex peaks, such as those exhibited by the actinide metals group, than is possible with energy dispersive detectors.Reference materials are necessary to calibrate the instrument in order to obtain an accurate MA measurement. While some progress has been made with regard to creating models for standardless analysis [3], such efforts are still in their infancy. Therefore, nuclear fuels researchers still rely on the use of physical standards for the analysis of MA. Unfortunately, fabrication and use of such standards is fraught with difficulty. All fabrication and polishing must be done in special nuclear-grade facilities. Such facilities typically include glove boxes with prescribed atmospheres, and remote handling tools. Metal specimens are relatively easy to handle, but when exposed to oxygen, will oxidise very rapidly.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 76%

Synthesis and characterisation of PuPO₄ - a potential analytical standard for EPMA actinide quantification

Wright

Popa

Pöml

2018

IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng.

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“…For Am and Xe virtual standards were used. Calibration factors were applied to relate the intensities of Am Mα and Xe Lα to Np Mα and Sb Lα, respectively [2,3]. Figures 2 and 3 show absorbed current (Abs) electron images and quantitative X-ray maps for Am and Nd in weight %.…”

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confidence: 99%

Electron Probe Microanalysis of Minor Actinide Bearing Fuels Studied within the FUTURIX-FTA International Collaboration: (Pu0.8Am0.2)O2+86 vol. % Mo and (Pu0.23Am0.25Zr0.52)O2+60 vol. % Mo

et al. 2018

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Electron probe microanalysis: A review of recent developments and applications in materials science and engineering

Llovet

Moy

Pinard

et al. 2021

Progress in Materials Science

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Micro-analytical Investigations on Actinide (Am, Cm) Reference Materials

Cited by 4 publications

References 2 publications

Synthesis and characterisation of PuPO₄ - a potential analytical standard for EPMA actinide quantification

Synthesis and characterisation of PuPO₄ - a potential analytical standard for EPMA actinide quantification

Electron Probe Microanalysis of Minor Actinide Bearing Fuels Studied within the FUTURIX-FTA International Collaboration: (Pu0.8Am0.2)O2+86 vol. % Mo and (Pu0.23Am0.25Zr0.52)O2+60 vol. % Mo

Electron probe microanalysis: A review of recent developments and applications in materials science and engineering

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Micro-analytical Investigations on Actinide (Am, Cm) Reference Materials

Cited by 4 publications

References 2 publications

Synthesis and characterisation of PuPO4 - a potential analytical standard for EPMA actinide quantification

Synthesis and characterisation of PuPO4 - a potential analytical standard for EPMA actinide quantification

Electron Probe Microanalysis of Minor Actinide Bearing Fuels Studied within the FUTURIX-FTA International Collaboration: (Pu0.8Am0.2)O2+86 vol. % Mo and (Pu0.23Am0.25Zr0.52)O2+60 vol. % Mo

Electron probe microanalysis: A review of recent developments and applications in materials science and engineering

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Synthesis and characterisation of PuPO₄ - a potential analytical standard for EPMA actinide quantification

Synthesis and characterisation of PuPO₄ - a potential analytical standard for EPMA actinide quantification