| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Actinides and Rare Earths Focus Topic | Monday Sessions |
| Session AC-MoA |
| Session: | Early Career Scientists |
| Presenter: | Scott Donald, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Authors: | S.B. Donald, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory J. Stanford, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory A.J. Nelson, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory B.W. McLean, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
The evolution of delta stabilized plutonium aged under a controlled environment composed of laboratory air and a range of relative humidities up to 95% was studied using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Linear-least squares analysis was performed on AES spectra acquired during Ar+ sputter depth profiles to gain insight on the thickness and any variation in the chemical speciation of the oxide. Sputter rates were calibrated from depth profiles obtained from an oxide of a known thickness from FIB/SEM measurements. At all relative humidities, the initial oxide layer was found to grow logarithmically, indicative of a diffusion-controlled process. The rate of oxide growth was also found to be independent of oxygen partial pressure (for pO2 > 31.5 Torr) for all conditions studied.
The work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.