Corrosion of non-irradiated UAlx–Al fuel in the presence of clay pore solution: a quantitative XRD secondary phase analysis applying the DDM method

Abstract

Abstract Corrosion experiments with non-irradiated metallic UAlx–Al research reactor fuel elements were carried out in autoclaves to identify and quantify the corrosion products. Such compounds, considering the long-term safety assessment of final repositories, can interact with the released inventory and this constitutes a sink for radionuclide migration in formation waters. Therefore, the metallic fuel sample was subjected to clay pore solution to investigate its process of disintegration by analyzing the resulting products and the remnants, i.e. the secondary phases. Due to the fast corrosion rate a full sample disintegration was observed within the experimental period of 1 year at 90°C. The obtained solids were subdivided into different grain size fractions and prepared for analysis. The elemental analysis of the suspension showed that, uranium and aluminum are concentrated in the solids, whereas iron was mainly dissolved. Non-ambient X-ray diffraction (XRD) combined with the derivative difference minimization (DDM) method was applied for the qualitative and quantitative phase analysis (QPA) of the secondary phases. Gypsum and hemihydrate (bassanite), residues of non-corroded nuclear fuel, hematite, and goethite were identified. The quantitative phase analysis showed that goethite is the major crystalline phase. The amorphous content exceeded 80 wt% and hosted the uranium. All other compounds were present to a minor content. The obtained results by XRD were well supported by complementary scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis.