What Is the Actual Local Crystalline Structure of Uranium Dioxide, UO2? A New Perspective for the Most Used Nuclear Fuel.

Title What Is the Actual Local Crystalline Structure of Uranium Dioxide, UO2? A New Perspective for the Most Used Nuclear Fuel.
Authors L. Desgranges; Y. Ma; P. Garcia; G. Baldinozzi; D. Simeone; H.E. Fischer
Journal Inorg Chem
DOI 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b02111
Abstract

Up to now, uranium dioxide, the most used nuclear fuel, was said to have a Fm3?m crystalline structure from 30 to 3000 K, and its behavior was modeled under this assumption. However, recently X-ray diffraction experiments provided atomic pair-distribution functions of UO2, in which UO distance was shorter than the expected value for the Fm3?m space group. Here we show neutron diffraction results that confirm this shorter UO bond, and we also modeled the corresponding pair-distribution function showing that UO2 has a local Pa3? symmetry. The existence of a local lower symmetry in UO2 could explain some unexpected properties of UO2 that would justify UO2 modeling to be reassessed. It also deserves more study from an academic point of view because of its good thermoelectric properties that may originate from its particular crystalline structure.

Citation L. Desgranges; Y. Ma; P. Garcia; G. Baldinozzi; D. Simeone; H.E. Fischer.What Is the Actual Local Crystalline Structure of Uranium Dioxide, UO2? A New Perspective for the Most Used Nuclear Fuel.. Inorg Chem. 2017;56(1):321326. doi:10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b02111

Related Elements

Uranium

92 U 238.028910000 Uranium

See more Uranium products. Uranium (atomic symbol: U, atomic number: 92) is a Block F, Group 3, Period 7 element. The number of electrons in each of Uranium's shells is 2, 8, 18, 32, 21, 9, 2 and its electronic configuration is [Rn] 5f3 6d1 7s2. In its elemental form uranium's CAS number is 7440-61-1. The uranium atom has a radius of 138.5.pm and its Van der Waals radius is 186.pm. Uranium is harmful both through its radioactivity and chemical toxicity. Uranium in its depleted and unenriched forms has numerous commercial applications due to its great density and its bright yellow-green color in glass and ceramics. Uranium Bohr ModelIts great density has found military applications in armor piercing armaments and in protective shielding. It is added to ceramic frits, glazes and to color bars for glass production because of its bright yellow shade. Uranyl Nitrate and Uranyl Acetate are used in medical and analytical laboratories. Uranium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth. The name Uranium originates from the planet Uranus. Uranium occurs naturally in soil, rock and water and is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals.

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