| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Seaborg Institutes: Emerging Topics in Actinide Materials and Science
|
| Presentation Title |
Thermal Stability of Alpha-phase Plutonium |
| Author(s) |
Jeremy N. Mitchell, Najeb Abdul-Jabbar |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Jeremy N. Mitchell |
| Abstract Scope |
Monoclinic α is the room-temperature phase of plutonium. With the addition of as little as 1 atomic % gallium, the face-centered cubic δ phase is stable at room temperature. In δ-phase Pu alloys with less than 3 atomic % Ga, various types of α phase can coexist depending on their thermal and mechanical history. Residual α-Pu may be present following post-casting homogenization and can persist despite prolonged annealing times. Pressure-induced α´ may be present following isostatic compression or as a result of sample preparation. Thermally-induced α´ is produced cryogenically and is characterized by a large volume contraction and large hysteresis loop. Here we will discuss the thermal stability regimes of these various types of α-Pu based on thermal analysis experiments and describe the transformation mechanisms that allow them to be present in these various conditions. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Phase Transformations, |