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Microstructural Characterization of Synroc C and E by Electron Microscopy
Author(s) -
COOPER J. A.,
COUSENS D.R.,
LEWIS R.A.,
MYHRA S.,
SEGALL R.L.,
SMART R.S.T.C.,
TURNER P. S.,
WHITE T. J.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1985.tb15266.x
Subject(s) - zirconolite , materials science , scanning electron microscope , microstructure , pyrochlore , hollandite , rutile , ceramic , intermetallic , mineralogy , nuclear chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemical engineering , metallurgy , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , alloy , chromatography , engineering , phase (matter)
High‐resolution electron microscopy, analytical electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine the microstructure and chemistry of the titania‐based nuclear waste ceramics Synroc C and Synroc E. The mineral assemblages of these formulations are dependent upon the level of radwaste incorporation. The principal phases identified are zirconolite, zirkelite, pyrochlore, polymignyte, perovskite, hollandite, magnetoplumbite, and intermetallic alloys. Thin intergranular films and “glassy” triple points were found to exist between different phases. In Synroc formulations containing a large excess of TiO 2 the radwaste‐containing minerals are embedded in an inert, continuous rutile matrix; this microencapsulation operates at the level of 10 to 20 nm. Backscattered electron images suggest that the distribution of radwaste ions may not be completely homogeneous throughout the ceramic.