Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of plutonium tetrafluoride.

Anhydrous plutonium tetrafluoride is an important intermediate in the production of metallic Pu. This historically important compound is also known to exist in at least two distinct, yet understudied hydrate forms, PuF·HO(s) (0.5 ≤ ≤ 2) and PuF·2.

Oxygen Isotope and Fluorine Impurity Signatures during the Conversion of Uranium Ore Concentrates to Nuclear Fuel.

Within the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle, many processes impart forensic signatures. Oxygen-stable isotopes (δO values) of uranium-bearing materials have been theorized to provide the processing and geolocational signatures of interdicted materials. However, this signature has been minimally utilized due to a limited understanding of how oxygen isotopes are influenced during uranium processing.

Identification and Elemental Impurity Analysis of Heterogeneous Morphologies in Uranium Oxides Synthesized from Uranyl Fluoride Precursors.

The surface morphology characteristics of postenrichment deconversion products in the nuclear fuel cycle are important for producing nuclear fuel pellets. They also provide the first opportunity for a microstructural signature after conversion to gaseous uranium hexafluoride (UF). This work synthesizes uranium oxides from uranyl fluoride (UOF) starting solutions by the wet ammonium diuranate route and a modification of the dry route.

Effect of Diel Cycling Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Synthetic Route on the Surface Morphology and Hydrolysis of α-UO.

The speciation and morphological changes of α-UO following aging under diel cycling temperature and relative humidity (RH) have been examined. This work advances the knowledge of U-oxide hydration as a result of synthetic route and environmental conditions, ultimately giving novel insight into nuclear material provenance. α-UO was synthesized via the washed uranyl peroxide (UO) and ammonium uranyl carbonate (AUC) synthetic routes to produce unaged starting materials with different morphologies.

Impact of Controlled Storage Conditions on the Hydrolysis and Surface Morphology of Amorphous-UO.

The hydration and morphological effects of amorphous (A)-UO following storage under varying temperature and relative humidity have been investigated. This study provides valuable insight into U-oxide speciation following aging, the U-oxide quantitative morphological data set, and, overall, the characterization of nuclear material provenance. A-UO was synthesized via the washed uranyl peroxide synthetic route and aged based on a 3-factor circumscribed central composite design of experiment.