Kinetics of the reaction between plutonium dioxide and water from 25 deg. C to 350 deg. C: Formation and properties of the phases PuO2+X

In the areas of plutonium waste disposition and storage, and medium to long-term retrievable Pu materials storage, the issue of water and other small molecule interactions with pure or impure Pu oxide materials and metal has become a major concern. The interaction of PuO2 with water was investigated from 100 deg. C to 350 deg. C using a suite of experimental techniques which include microbalance and pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) methods, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), mass spectrometry (MS), x-ray and neutron diffraction. Reaction rates and oxide compositions were determined from measured increases in sample mass or pressure over time (t). Gaseous and solid products were analyzed using MS and diffraction methods, respectively