Structural Features in Uranium Oxides with Fluorite-Related Structures

Gianguido Baldinozzi (1, 2) , Lionel Desgranges (3) , David A. Andersson (4) , David Simeone (2, 1)

1 SPMS - Laboratoire Structures, Propriétés et Modélisation des solides
2 LA2M - Laboratoire d'Analyse Microstructurale des Matériaux
3 LM2C - Laboratoire de Modélisation Multi-échelles des Combustibles
4 LANL - Los Alamos National Laboratory

The research for radiation-resistant compounds with fluorite related structure is a challenging area of research for developing reliable nuclear energy systems. Those systems, and advanced fuels in particular, require a sound understanding based on reliable experiments and numerical modelling in order to ensure their safe behaviour throughout the fuel life cycle, from fabrication to end of life storage. The problem of understanding and developing a predictive capability for the evolution of fuels is a challenging one, even for features apparently simple as oxidation. Uranium oxides have deceptively simple approximate chemical formulas that actually betray their extremely complex structural features and their propensity to form nonstoichiometric phases of composition UO2+x: in these phases U atoms exhibit multiple charge states and configurations. We would try to summarize a multidisciplinary effort to characterize the structural features of laboratory prepared UO2+x systems (0

Domaines: Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]; Chimie théorique et/ou physique; Matériaux

Gianguido Baldinozzi, Lionel Desgranges, David A. Andersson, David Simeone. Structural Features in Uranium Oxides with Fluorite-Related Structures. Symposium DD/WW – Materials and Radiation Effects for Advanced Nuclear Technologies, Materials Research Society, Nov 2014, Boston, United States. ⟨hal-01084304⟩