New sample stage for characterizing radioactive materials by X‐ray powder diffraction: application on five actinide dioxides ThO2, UO2, NpO2, PuO2 and AmO2. Issue 2 (31st March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vauchy, Romain; Fouquet-Métivier, Pauline; Martin, Philippe M.; Maillard, Christophe; Solinhac, Isabelle; Guéneau, Christine; Léorier, Caroline
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied crystallography. Volume 54:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 636
• Page End: 643
• Publication Date: 2021-03-31
• Subjects: X‐ray diffraction -- crystal structure -- nuclear materials -- actinides -- radiotoxicity -- phase diagrams -- mixed oxides -- nuclear fuel; Crystallography -- Periodicals; 548.05
• DOI: 10.1107/S1600576721002235
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8898

Abstract

Abstract : A new sample stage dedicated to X‐ray powder diffraction of actinide materials, and adaptable on a conventional Bragg–Brentano goniometer, is presented. This new experimental setup may also be used for the encapsulation of atmosphere‐sensitive materials (not only radiotoxic samples). Abstract : A new sample stage for characterizing radioactive materials by X‐ray powder diffraction was developed at the ATALANTE facility (CEA Marcoule, France) using a conventional (non‐nuclearized) Bruker D8 goniometer mounted in Bragg–Brentano geometry. The setup consists of a removable, fully hermetic sample stage, with a 200 µm‐thick beryllium window, that can be plugged onto a glove‐box, allowing the sample to be introduced in an hermetic medium that also encapsulates the glove‐box atmosphere throughout the analysis process. The whole setup is thus hermetically unplugged from the glove‐box and positioned on the centre of the goniometer. No preliminary decontamination and/or decontainment of the sample is necessary. The device was developed to avoid an expensive and time‐consuming nuclearization of the diffractometer while also keeping it easily accessible for maintenance. Ultimately, keeping the diffractometer out of a glove‐box also limits the volume of the final nuclear wastes, and thus the removable sample stage is the only `active' part. X‐ray diffraction results of two NIST standards LaB6 and α‐Al2 O3 as well as five actinide dioxides ThO2, UO2, NpO2, PuO2 and AmO2 are presented to show the efficiency of the setup.