Fusion of Acid Oxides for Potentially Radiation-Resistant Waste Forms

Abstract

Skull melting of groups VA and VB acid oxides with alkali metal oxides and urania leads to compounds with a good ability to retain radionuclides and establishes immunity to radiation damage. Substitution of neptunium and plutonium for uranium should not diminish these desirable properties. For hexavalent transplutonic elements, even at high oxygen fugacities and oxide activities, acid character losses and the reducing nature of radiation suggest the lower valences (III and IV) will be the stable states. Plutonium becomes the pivotal radionuclide when valence stability in a radiation field is considered.