Temperature-dependent Variations of the Interface between UO2 and Zr

• Published in: Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol. 36; no. 8; pp. 2068 - 2072
• Main Authors: Youn, Young-Sang, Kim, Jong-Goo, Park, Soon Dal, Ha, Yeong-Keong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA 01.08.2015; Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA; 대한화학회
• Subjects: High temperature; Uranium dioxide; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Zirconium; 화학
• ISSN: 1229-5949; 0253-2964; 1229-5949
• DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.10403

Temperature‐dependent variations of the interface between uranium dioxide and zirconium in UO2 ‐Zr systems were studied using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface of the uranium dioxide sample was oxidized to hyperstoichiometric UO 2+x composed of U(IV), U(V), and U(VI) valence states at room temperature, whereas UO2 consisting of the only U(IV) oxidation state appeared after annealing with zirconium. In the zirconium sample, its surface was spontaneously oxidized to ZrO2 at room temperature, whereas it was variously changed after heating the UO2 ‐Zr sample. Furthermore, we observed a molten product composed of α‐Zr(O), (U,Zr)O2 , and ZrO2 when a UO2 ‐Zr sample was fully melted.