Structural transformative behaviour in barium thorium oxides: a neutron and synchrotron x-ray diffraction study

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dc.contributor.authorMurphy, GLen_AU
dc.contributor.authorKennedy, BJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorAvdeev, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorZhang, Zen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2021-07-29T22:49:25Zen_AU
dc.date.available2021-07-29T22:49:25Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2016-11-30en_AU
dc.date.statistics2021-07-19en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe increasing interest in nuclear energy, as a response to demands for a transition to non-fossil fuel energy sources, has reinvigorated attempts to explore a thorium fuel cycle. Thorium is seen as a more attractive option to uranium as a nuclear fuel, due to its enhanced proliferation resistance and reduced transuranic generation. Thorium reactors face several challenges particularly related to the large paucity of information of fuel fission by product material phases. A pertinent structure in this regard is BaThO3, due its potential to host the fission daughter Ba-137m. The radioactivity of thorium coupled with the unusual decomposition behaviour of BaThO3, has prevented detailed analysis of the material. The present study has utilized a combination of neutron and synchrotron x-ray diffraction in order to establish the structure of BaThO_3 and elucidate its high temperature structural behaviour. Our results indicate BaThO_3 undergoes a reversible second order continuous phasetransformation at 975 K from the space group Pbnm to Imma. Neutron and synchrotron Xrays were key to this, successfully resolving the characteristic superlattice X-point and Mpoint reflections present in Pbnm and absent in Imma. Considering the decomposition behaviour of BaThO_3 attempts were made to include Th(IV) partially on the B site of otherABO_3 perovskites including BaZrO_3 and SrZrO_3 through the formation of appropriate solid solutions. This resulted in maximum Th solubilities of less than 10 %. Surprisingly greater solubilities are known for Th(IV) on the A site of in layered perovskites such as Na_2_/_3Th_1_/_3TiO_3. The ability of Th to occupy the perovskite A-site is in contrast to that what is typically observed for uranium and other nuclear fuel relevant perovskites.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationMurphy, G. L., Kennedy, B. J., Avdeev, M., & Zhang, Z. (2016). Structural transformative behaviour in barium thorium oxides: a neutron and synchrotron x-ray diffraction study. Paper presented at 13th AINSE-ANBUG Neutron Scattering Symposium (AANSS 2016); Sydney, NSW, Australia, 29-30 November 2016.en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate30 November 2016en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencename13th AINSE-ANBUG Neutron Scattering Symposiumen_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceSydney, NSW, Australiaen_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate29 November 2016en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/11153en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherAustralian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineeringen_AU
dc.subjectBarium 137en_AU
dc.subjectCrystal latticesen_AU
dc.subjectCrystallographyen_AU
dc.subjectNeutron diffractionen_AU
dc.subjectPerovskitesen_AU
dc.subjectParticle structureen_AU
dc.subjectNuclear fuelsen_AU
dc.subjectParticle structureen_AU
dc.subjectPerovskitesen_AU
dc.subjectSynchrotron radiationen_AU
dc.titleStructural transformative behaviour in barium thorium oxides: a neutron and synchrotron x-ray diffraction studyen_AU
dc.typeConference Abstracten_AU
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