Dissolution of uranium dioxide in simulated Boom clay water
-
S. Guilbert
Summary
The solubility behavior of uranium dioxide was studied under oxidizing and reducing conditions in simulated Belgian Boom clay water at 25 °C, on unirradiated fuel pellets. For a comparable period (1 month), the uranium concentration and the dissolution rate (10−12 mol m−2 s−1) in reduced medium were ∼30 times smaller than in oxidizing conditions (3 × 10−11 mol m−2 s−1). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses revealed that U(VI) and U(IV) oxidation states were present in the altered layer in both cases. In the case of the experiments performed in oxidizing conditions, this technique also revealed the formation of U-OH bonds. Although steady state was not reached, geochemical calculations allowed us to suggest a class of secondary phases able to control the uranium solubility in the long term.
© Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, München
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Articles in the same Issue
- Measurement of fission neutron spectrum averaged cross sections of some threshold reactions on europium: small scale production of no-carrier-added 153Sm in a nuclear reactor
- Production and separation of 24Na and 28Mg from 7Li-irradiated aluminium target
- Kinetics of the oxidation of Pu(IV) by manganese dioxide
- Dissolution of uranium dioxide in simulated Boom clay water
- Single-column extraction chromatographic separation of U, Pu, Np and Am
- TBP extraction of lanthanides from molten calcium nitrate hydrate
- Synthesis and investigation of Pu-doped single crystal zircon, (Zr, Pu)SiO4
- Diffusion of HTO and cement pore fluids through host rock
- Gamma radiolysis studies of uranyl fluoride
