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Surface Characterization of Depleted Uranium–Molybdenum to Determine Surface Coating Compatibility

  • Terry A. Ring
  • , Byung Sang Choi
  • , J. Paulo Perez
  • , Brian Van Devener
  • , Randy C. Polson
  • , Douglas Crawford
  • , Dennis Keiser
  • , Daniel Wachs

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been used to characterize the surface of depleted uranium molybdenum (DU-Mo) alloys as a chemical surrogate to determine potential challenges with the surfaces of manufactured and stored U-Mo foils and powders. Even when stored and shipped in an inert atmosphere, U-Mo has a tenacious surface contamination of oxygen and carbon. The 8 at. % molybdenum (DU-8Mo) powder and 10 at. % molybdenum (DU-10Mo) foil samples have surface contamination of oxygen and carbon in different ratios that is hundreds to thousands of nanometers thick. The DU-8Mo powder sample has been stored in an inert atmosphere and as a result has a lower carbon-to-oxygen ratio at the surface than the DU-10Mo foil sample that was stored in air. This surface contamination has not been removed by up to 20 min of argon ion sputtering nor with 5% hydrogen in argon heat treatment for up to 96 h at 950°C.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)801-818
Number of pages18
JournalNuclear Technology
Volume205
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 3 2019
Externally publishedYes

Funding

This work was graciously funded by INL under contract award number 150387 of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative, United States High Performance Research Reactor Fuel Development: Microstructure and Surface Characterization, project number 25228.

Keywords

  • Depleted uranium–molybdenum alloy
  • surface analysis

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