| Abstract Scope |
Technetium is an artificial element that is primarily produced through fission with its most common isotope, 99Tc, being a high yield fission product from the uranium fuel cycle. Despite its significance, no technetium-uranium phase diagram is currently available. In this study, nine diffusion couples were prepared at temperatures ranging from 500°C to 1000°C, targeting all three allotropes of uranium. Samples were cross sectioned and prepared using standard metallurgical practices and then characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and when necessary, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). These results led to the calculation of integrated diffusion coefficients, interdiffusion coefficients, and activation energies. This work provides the first identification of intermetallic species in the uranium-technetium system and provides cross sections of the phase diagram. The results will inform future investigations into the synthesis and characterization of uranium-technetium intermetallic compounds, and the determination of a phase equilibria diagram. |