X-RAY Photoelectron Spectroscopic Study of Cigar Lake Uranium Ore: A Natural Analog for Used Fuel

1991 ◽  
Vol 257 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sunder ◽  
J.J. Cramer ◽  
N.H. Miller

ABSTRACTX-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to study samples from the Cigar Lake uranium deposit in northern Saskatchewan. Two uranium-rich sections, CS-615 and CS-620 were studied. Peaks due to U, 0, C, Pb, Si, Ca, Al, S, Cu and Th were seen in the XPS spectra. Concentrations of Pb of up to 14 wt% were measured by XPS and correspond to the Pb ingrowth by radioactive decay during the 1.3 billion years since the ore was formed. High-resolution spectra were recorded for the U, Pb, 0, and C bands. Lead was in the +2 oxidation state in all samples. The carbon signal indicated the presence of organic carbon, while the oxygen bands indicated the presence of significant amounts of water in the samples. The samples from the CS-615 section had U6+/U4+ ratios between 0.16 and 0.29. However, the U6+/U4+ ratios for section CS-620 were about 0.7 but this is attributed to oxidation of the ore by water during the drilling and cutting processes. The significance of the results for disposal concepts in nuclear fuel waste management programs is discussed.

1987 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sunder ◽  
P. Taylor ◽  
J. J. Cramer

AbstractSamples of uranium ore from the 1,300 million year old Cigar Lake deposits in northern Saskatchewan have been investigated using X ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and X ray Diffraction (XRD). The XPS spectra showed the peaks for U, Pb, 0, C, Si, Ca and Mg. Analysis of highresolution XPS spectra showed that the oxidation state of uranium in these minerals is equal to, or lower than, that of U3O7. The XRD data confirm the presence of an oxidized phase, most likely α U3O7., in addition to UO2. The low U(VI)/U(IV) ratio in these minerals is consistent with the low uranium concentration found in groundwater in contact with these uranium minerals. The relevance of these results to the disposal concept of used nuclear fuel in the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program is discussed.


2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Krylova ◽  
Mindaugas Andrulevičius

Copper sulfide layers were formed on polyamide PA 6 surface using the sorption-diffusion method. Polymer samples were immersed for 4 and 5 h in 0.15 mol⋅  solutions and acidified with HCl (0.1 mol⋅) at . After washing and drying, the samples were treated with Cu(I) salt solution. The samples were studied by UV/VIS, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods. All methods confirmed that on the surface of the polyamide film a layer of copper sulfide was formed. The copper sulfide layers are indirect band-gap semiconductors. The values of are 1.25 and 1.3 eV for 4 h and 5 h sulfured PA 6 respectively. Copper XPS spectra analyses showed Cu(I) bonds only in deeper layers of the formed film, while in sulfur XPS S 2p spectra dominating sulfide bonds were found after cleaning the surface with ions. It has been established by the XRD method that, beside , the layer contains as well. For PA 6 initially sulfured 4 h, grain size forchalcocite, , was  nm and fordjurleite, , it was 54.17 nm. The sheet resistance of the obtained layer varies from 6300 to 102 .


1994 ◽  
Vol 346 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.J.P. Corriu ◽  
D. Leclercq ◽  
P.H. Mutin ◽  
A. Vioux

ABSTRACTTwo silicon oxycarbide glasses with different compositions (O/Si ratio 1.2 and 1.8) were prepared by pyrolysis at moderate temperature (900 °C) of polysiloxane precursors. Their structure was investigated using quantitative 29Si solid-state NMR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The environment of the silicon atoms in the oxycarbide phase corresponded to a purely random distribution of Si-O and Si-C bonds depending on the O/Si ratio of the glass only and not on the structure of the precursors. At the light of the NMR results, the Si2p XPS spectra of the glasses may be interpreted using the contribution of the five possible SiOxC4-x tetrahedra. The Cls spectra of these glasses indicated the presence of oxycarbide carbon in CSi4 tetrahedra, similar to carbide carbon, and graphitic-like excess carbon.


2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 839-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Ping Wang ◽  
Yun-Pu Wang ◽  
Fa-Ai Zhang

A new type of nano-composite film was prepared from polyvinyl alcohol, Ni2+-montmorillonite (Ni2+-MMT), defoamer, a levelling agent and a plasticizer. Its thermal characteristics were studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The intermolecular interactions were measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (%E) were measured. The microstructures were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). FT-IR and XPS spectra indicated that cross-linking has taken place between PVA and Ni2+-MMT. XRD and AFM indicate that the PVA molecules had inserted themselves into the silicate layers of MMT, exfoliating them and dispersing them randomly into the PVA matrix. Compared to pure PVA film, the TS of the films was increased and %E decreased when the Ni2+-Montmorillonite was added and the dissolution temperature of the film was also reduced.


2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mayer ◽  
F. Lever ◽  
D. Picconi ◽  
J. Metje ◽  
S. Alisauskas ◽  
...  

AbstractThe conversion of photon energy into other energetic forms in molecules is accompanied by charge moving on ultrafast timescales. We directly observe the charge motion at a specific site in an electronically excited molecule using time-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (TR-XPS). We extend the concept of static chemical shift from conventional XPS by the excited-state chemical shift (ESCS), which is connected to the charge in the framework of a potential model. This allows us to invert TR-XPS spectra to the dynamic charge at a specific atom. We demonstrate the power of TR-XPS by using sulphur 2p-core-electron-emission probing to study the UV-excited dynamics of 2-thiouracil. The method allows us to discover that a major part of the population relaxes to the molecular ground state within 220–250 fs. In addition, a 250-fs oscillation, visible in the kinetic energy of the TR-XPS, reveals a coherent exchange of population among electronic states.


1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2388-2392 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Miot ◽  
E. Husson ◽  
C. Proust ◽  
R. Erre ◽  
J. P. Coutures

Powder and ceramics of barium titanate prepared by the citric process were studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Spectra of C1s, O1s, Ti2p, Ba3d, and Ba4d levels are analyzed in powder and ceramics immediately after the sintering step and after several months of exposure in the air. Ar-ion etching allowed one to characterize the material intrinsic carbon. The results are discussed in comparison with works previously published on oxide single crystals.


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