Plutonium-Doped Monazite and Other Orthophosphates—Thermodynamics and Experimental Data on Long-Term Behavior
Open Access
- 23 January 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Sustainability
- Vol. 13 (3), 1203
- https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031203
Abstract
The paper consists of two main parts: a microscopic and spectroscopic investigation of the single crystal of 17-year-old 238Pu-doped Eu-monazite, and a theoretical calculation of the properties of several structural types of orthophosphates. It is shown that actinide-doped monazite is prone to the formation of mechanically weak, poorly crystalline crust, presumably consisting of rhabdophane. Its formation is likely promoted by the formation of peroxides and, potentially, acidic compounds, due to the radiolysis of atmospheric moisture. The calculations of mixing the enthalpies and Gibbs energies of binary solid solutions of Pu and rare earth element (REE) phosphates that were performed for the principal structural types—monazite, xenotime, rhabdophane—show that, in the case of light REEs, the plutonium admixture is preferentially redistributed into the rhabdophane. This process strongly affects the behavior of actinides, leached from a monazite-based waste form. The applications of these results for the development of actinide waste forms are discussed. The current data on the behavior of real actinide-doped monazite suggest that this type of ceramic waste form is not very resistant, even in relatively short time periods.Keywords
This publication has 38 references indexed in Scilit:
- Resetting monazite ages during fluid-related alterationChemical Geology, 2011
- IRRADIATION DAMAGE IN MONAZITE-(Ce): AN EXAMPLE TO ESTABLISH THE LIMITS OF RAMAN CONFOCALITY AND DEPTH RESOLUTIONThe Canadian Mineralogist, 2010
- The high-temperature behaviour of PuPO4 monazite and some other related compoundsJournal of Nuclear Materials, 2008
- Choice of the supercell with the optimum atomic configuration in simulation of disordered solid solutionsGlass Physics and Chemistry, 2008
- Actinide solubility-controlling phases during the dissolution of phosphate ceramicsJournal of Nuclear Materials, 2007
- Self-Irradiation of Monazite Ceramics: Contrasting Behavior of PuPO4 and (La,Pu)PO4 Doped with Pu-238MRS Proceedings, 2004
- Radiation-Induced AmorphizationReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, 2000
- Displacive radiation effects in the monazite- and zircon-structure orthophosphatesPhysical Review B, 1997
- Effect of Ionizing Radiation on Moist Air SystemsMRS Proceedings, 1987
- Anharmonic potential constants and the large amplitude bending vibration in nitrogen dioxideCanadian Journal of Physics, 1976