| AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Actinides and Rare Earths Focus Topic | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session AC+AS+SS-TuM |
| Session: | The Surface Science of Actinides and Rare Earths |
| Presenter: | D.A. Geeson, AWE, UK |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Actinides play an important role in the business of the AWE.
The corrosion behaviour of uranium- and plutonium-based systems is of particular interest with a view to considering material stability during long-term storage as well as aspects of surface segregation and fundamental electronic structure.
The historical use of modern surface science techniques to investigate many aspects of the actinide gas-solid interface is reviewed with emphasis on the development of in-house capabilities and their adaptation for use in a nuclear environment studying highly hazardous materials. Key conclusions from several aspects of corrosion phenomena are presented together with strategies for continuing studies. Examples are drawn from; the corrosion of uranium in dry and moist atmospheres, the mechanism of initiation of hydriding on uranium surfaces, the oxidation of plutonium alloys, americium segregation in plutonium and inverse photoemission studies of actinide surfaces.
AWE’s engagement with the wider UK and international community, as part of a broad strategy to collaboratively support our work in areas of more novel aspects of actinide surface phenomena, is described.
The discussion concludes with consideration of the future direction of studies at AWE supported by the provision of enhanced capabilities to explore surface and bulk phenomena.
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