Neutron capture of UO2 targets prepared by spin-coating assisted combustion synthesis

Ashabari Majumdar; Khachatur V. Manukyan; Wanpeng Tan; Stefania Dede; Jordan M. Roach; Aaron Couture; Peter C. Burns; Ani Aprahamian

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2022.167551

Neutron capture of UO₂ targets prepared by spin-coating assisted combustion synthesis

Ashabari Majumdar
, Khachatur V. Manukyan
, Wanpeng Tan
, Stefania Dede
, Jordan M. Roach
, Aaron Couture
, Peter C. Burns
, Ani Aprahamian

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Two uranium dioxide (UO₂) targets of (414 ± 23) nm and (1092 ± 93) nm thicknesses were prepared on 6061 aluminum alloy and puratronic grade aluminum backing materials. The targets were deposited with a novel method combining spin coating and solution combustion synthesis (SCS). The target layers consisted of small (3–7 nm) UO₂ grains and uniformly distributed ultra-small (1–3 nm) pores. The prepared targets were tested at the Los Alamos National Laboratory's LANSCE facility for neutron irradiation damage and suitability for neutron capture experiments. The samples showed no signs of target material loss after the irradiation. However, irradiation caused a significant increase in the grain size (4–10 nm), as well as upward mass diffusion and coalescence of the pores due to the thermal spikes. The magnesium in the aluminum 6061 alloy backing also diffused into the UO₂ layer during neutron irradiation. The structural changes in the target after the irradiation do not affect the data from neutron capture. The new method can be used more broadly to prepare other actinide targets for nuclear physics experiments.

Original language	English
Article number	167551
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	1045
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2022.167551
State	Published - Jan 1 2023
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The work was performed with financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration, USA (NNSA, Grants # DE-NA0003888 , and NA0004093 ), U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF, PHY 2011890 ), and JINA-CEE Physics Frontiers Center, USA (Award #1430152 ). A.A. acknowledges support from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant. K.M. also acknowledges funding from the U.S. Army Research Office Grant # W911NF2110045 under the Materials Synthesis & Processing Program, with Dr. Michael P. Bakas as the program manager. This research benefited from the use of LANSCE, which is supported by the NNSA, USA under Contract No. 89233218CNA000001 . A. C. was supported by the DOE, USA through the LANL. LANL is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, for the NNSA of U.S. DOE (Contract No. 89233218CNA000001 ). The authors also acknowledge Notre Dame Center for Environmental Science & Technology (CEST) and Integrated Imaging Facility (NDIIF) for instrumental usage. The work was performed with financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration, USA (NNSA, Grants # DE-NA0003888, and NA0004093), U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF, PHY 2011890), and JINA-CEE Physics Frontiers Center, USA (Award #1430152). A.A. acknowledges support from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant. K.M. also acknowledges funding from the U.S. Army Research Office Grant # W911NF2110045 under the Materials Synthesis & Processing Program, with Dr. Michael P. Bakas as the program manager. This research benefited from the use of LANSCE, which is supported by the NNSA, USA under Contract No. 89233218CNA000001. A. C. was supported by the DOE, USA through the LANL. LANL is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, for the NNSA of U.S. DOE (Contract No. 89233218CNA000001). The authors also acknowledge Notre Dame Center for Environmental Science & Technology (CEST) and Integrated Imaging Facility (NDIIF) for instrumental usage.

Keywords

Actinide targets
Neutron capture
Solution combustion synthesis
Uranium dioxide

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nima.2022.167551

Cite this

Majumdar, A., Manukyan, K. V., Tan, W., Dede, S., Roach, J. M., Couture, A., Burns, P. C., & Aprahamian, A. (2023). Neutron capture of UO₂ targets prepared by spin-coating assisted combustion synthesis. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 1045, Article 167551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2022.167551

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title = "Neutron capture of UO2 targets prepared by spin-coating assisted combustion synthesis",

abstract = "Two uranium dioxide (UO2) targets of (414 ± 23) nm and (1092 ± 93) nm thicknesses were prepared on 6061 aluminum alloy and puratronic grade aluminum backing materials. The targets were deposited with a novel method combining spin coating and solution combustion synthesis (SCS). The target layers consisted of small (3–7 nm) UO2 grains and uniformly distributed ultra-small (1–3 nm) pores. The prepared targets were tested at the Los Alamos National Laboratory's LANSCE facility for neutron irradiation damage and suitability for neutron capture experiments. The samples showed no signs of target material loss after the irradiation. However, irradiation caused a significant increase in the grain size (4–10 nm), as well as upward mass diffusion and coalescence of the pores due to the thermal spikes. The magnesium in the aluminum 6061 alloy backing also diffused into the UO2 layer during neutron irradiation. The structural changes in the target after the irradiation do not affect the data from neutron capture. The new method can be used more broadly to prepare other actinide targets for nuclear physics experiments.",

keywords = "Actinide targets, Neutron capture, Solution combustion synthesis, Uranium dioxide",

author = "Ashabari Majumdar and Manukyan, \{Khachatur V.\} and Wanpeng Tan and Stefania Dede and Roach, \{Jordan M.\} and Aaron Couture and Burns, \{Peter C.\} and Ani Aprahamian",

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Majumdar, A, Manukyan, KV, Tan, W, Dede, S, Roach, JM, Couture, A, Burns, PC & Aprahamian, A 2023, 'Neutron capture of UO₂ targets prepared by spin-coating assisted combustion synthesis', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, vol. 1045, 167551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2022.167551

Neutron capture of UO₂ targets prepared by spin-coating assisted combustion synthesis. / Majumdar, Ashabari; Manukyan, Khachatur V.; Tan, Wanpeng et al.
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 1045, 167551, 01.01.2023.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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AU - Majumdar, Ashabari

AU - Manukyan, Khachatur V.

AU - Tan, Wanpeng

AU - Dede, Stefania

AU - Roach, Jordan M.

AU - Couture, Aaron

AU - Burns, Peter C.

AU - Aprahamian, Ani

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AB - Two uranium dioxide (UO2) targets of (414 ± 23) nm and (1092 ± 93) nm thicknesses were prepared on 6061 aluminum alloy and puratronic grade aluminum backing materials. The targets were deposited with a novel method combining spin coating and solution combustion synthesis (SCS). The target layers consisted of small (3–7 nm) UO2 grains and uniformly distributed ultra-small (1–3 nm) pores. The prepared targets were tested at the Los Alamos National Laboratory's LANSCE facility for neutron irradiation damage and suitability for neutron capture experiments. The samples showed no signs of target material loss after the irradiation. However, irradiation caused a significant increase in the grain size (4–10 nm), as well as upward mass diffusion and coalescence of the pores due to the thermal spikes. The magnesium in the aluminum 6061 alloy backing also diffused into the UO2 layer during neutron irradiation. The structural changes in the target after the irradiation do not affect the data from neutron capture. The new method can be used more broadly to prepare other actinide targets for nuclear physics experiments.

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KW - Solution combustion synthesis

KW - Uranium dioxide

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