Actinide oxides: the importance of fundamental study

This issue of Actinide Research Quarterly continues the discussion of the structure, properties, and reactivity of plutonium dioxide and other oxides. The previous issue focused on recent observations and current understanding of the nature of plutonium dioxide with additional oxygen atoms in the host lattice (PuO_2+x). This issue tackles how a strong technical basis ensures the safe and proper stewardship of actinide oxide materials. Articles in both issues are distilled from a series of talks given at a Seaborg Institute workshop held earlier this year on "Actinide Oxides in the Environment, as Stored Material for Nuclear Fuel Fabrication, and in Practical Weapons Components."

We begin this issue with an overview of one of the key drivers for much of this research: the DOE 3013 Standard, which describes how excess plutonium-bearing solids must be processed, packaged, and stored. Kirk Veirs expands on the pragmatic implications of the DOE 3013 Standard in his article about surveillance with observations and historical data on a number of diverse plutonium-bearing materials. Patricia Bielenberg continues the discussion with an article on the practical engineering implications of the storage container in actual use, with an emphasis on the thermal properties of stored plutonium dioxide powder.

In addition to programmatic drivers, this issue delves into the less-explored facets of the thermodynamics of the surface chemistry of plutonium oxide and water. Steve Joyce addresses the uncertainties and fascinating properties of actinide oxides (such as emission of alpha, beta, and gamma particles) in an article about adsorbed water and radiation-driven chemistry. We conclude with an article by Martin Butterfield, Tomasz Durakiewicz, and Rich Martin about additional fundamental details revealed by photoemission spectroscopy coupled with theory of the evolution of several plutonium oxide surfaces following exposure of plutonium metal to oxygen.

These studies contribute to our understanding of the fundamental details of water- and radiation-driven chemistry that occur at the surface of actinide oxides. As discussed in the previous issue, the scientific factors that come into play provide a strong technical basis to ensure the safety and proper stewardship of actinide oxide materials, whether in fabricating nuclear fuel elements, processing materials for long-term storage, or ensuring the integrity of nuclear weapons in the stockpile.

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