| Autor: |
Joyce, Stephen A., Narlesky, Joshua E., Veirs, D. Kirk, Garcia, Eduardo, Gillispie, Obie W., Jackson, J. Matt, Scott, Brian L., Worl, Laura A. |
| Předmět: |
|
| Zdroj: |
Journal of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management; Winter2010, Vol. 38 Issue 2, p69-78, 10p, 5 Black and White Photographs, 1 Chart, 8 Graphs |
| Abstrakt: |
Calcined plutonium oxide salt mixtures are packaged according to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Standards for long-term storage in austenitic stainless steel containers. The behavior of the salts during packaging and storage can be critical to the integrity of the package because deliquescence of the salt can provide an electrolyte that supports stress-corrosion cracking of the stainless steel. Pure alkaline earth chlorides such as MgCl2 and CaCl2 are known to form crystalline hydrates and to deliquesce at low relative humidities. When the alkaline earth chlorides are calcined with other salts such as KCl and NaCl, new salt phases such as KCaCl3 and KMgCl3 can form. Little is known about the hydration and deliquescent properties of these multicomponent salts. The interactions of water vapor with the pure phase salts and calcined mixtures were studied using X-ray diffraction, a moisture sorption analyzer, and environmental scanning electron microscopy. Pure phase double and triple salts such as KCaCl3, K2MgCl4, and K3NaMgCl6 were synthesized. For calcined MgCl2/NaCl/KCl mixtures, a variety of phases including K3NaMgCl6 are formed. The anhydrous salt K3NaMgCl6 decomposes to KMgCl3∙6H2O (carnallite) and the respective alkali halides upon exposure to water vapor. Carnallite then controls the mutual deliquescence relative humidity at ∼57 percent relative humidity (RH). For calcined CaCl2/KCl/NaCl mixtures, KCaCl3 (chlorocalcite) is formed. Chlorocalcite does not form crystalline hydrates before it deliquesces at ∼16 percent RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Databáze: |
Supplemental Index |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
