Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Synthesis of Uranium-Thorium dioxide nano powder using supercritical hydrothermal method

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

A. H. Chenari 1
S.J. Ahmadi 2
F. Zahakifar 2

1 Energy Engineering and Physics Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box: 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran

2 Nuclear Fuel Cycle Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 11365-8486, Tehran-Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2021.1204
Abstract
Due to the limited uranium reserves and advantages of thorium fuels over uranium fuels, the development of the thorium fuel cycle in various countries including Iran, has been considered significantly. One type of thorium fuels used in nuclear reactors is a mixture of uranium dioxide and thorium. The type of powder synthesis method is a key point in improving the efficiency of this fuel in the reactor. The main objective of the present study was to achieve mixed nanoparticles of 30-70% (Th-U)O2. The effect of four parameters including concentration, time, initial percentage of uranium-thorium nitrate in solution, and temperature was studied using Taguchi's experimental design. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, BET, EDS, and SEM analyses. The results showed that at the best conditions, the nanoparticles were synthesized with a weight percentage of 32.28 and 67.72%, a particle size of 13.25 nm, high purity, and high surface area. Also, the results showed that the supercritical hydrothermal method has performed well for mixed nanoparticles of 30-70% (Th-U)O2 production.

Highlights

1.  Thorium Fuel Cycle., Potential benefits and challenges (IAEI, Vienna,  2005).

 

2.  Thorium Fuel Utilization: Options and Trends. (IAEI, Vienna,  2002).

 

3.  Fabrication of thorium fuel pellets using nanoparticles and microparticles of thorium dioxide and comparison of their physical properties, Ph.D thesis, Nuclear Science and Technology Institute and Amirkabir University (2016) (in persian).

 

4. S. Komarneni, Nanophase materials by hydrothermal, microwave-hydrothermal and microwave-solvothermal methods, Cur. Sci. Ban. 85, 1730 (2003).

 

5.    D. W. Matson et al., A flow-through hydrothermal method for the synthesis of active nanocrystalline catalysts, Adv. Tech. Cat. Pre.  259 (1996).

 

6.    H. Hayashi, Y. Hakuta, Hydrothermal synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles in supercritical water, Materials  3, 3794 (2010).

 

7.    M. Outokesh et al., Hydrothermal synthesis of CuO nanoparticles: study on effects of operational conditions on yield, purity, and size of the nanoparticles, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 50, 3540 (2011).

 

8.  S. Giri et al., Magnetic properties of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticle synthesized by a new hydrothermal method, J. Mag. Mag. Mat. 285  296 (2005).

 

 9.   Y. Arai, S. Takeshi, Y. Takebayashi, Reactions in supercritical fluids (Springer, Germany, 2013).

 

10. Y. Shigeru, Y. Takahashi, Preparation of high density (Th,vhkd,l U)O2 pellets by sol-gel microsphere pelletization and 1300°C air sintering,  J. Nucl. Mat. 217, 127 (1994).

 

11.   T. Pavelková et al., Preparation of UO2, ThO2 and (Th, U)O2 pellets from photochemically-prepared nano-powders, J. Nucl. Mat. 469, 57 (2016).

 

12. N.Hingant et al., sintering and leaching of optimized uranium thorium dioxides, J. Nucl. Mat. 385 400 (2009).
 
13.  G. Rousseau et al., Synthesis and characterization of nanometric powders of UO2+x,(Th, U)O2+x and (La,U)O2+ x, J. Sol. Stat. Chem. 182  2591 (2009).

 

 14.  N. Mohseni et al., Characterization of ThO2 and (Th,U)O2 pellets consolidated from NSD-sol gel derived nanoparticles, Cer. Inte. 43, 3025 (2017).

 

15.  S. J. Ahmadi et al., Optimization study on formation and decomposition of zinc hydroxynitrates to pure zinc oxide nanoparticles in supercritical water, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 52, 1448 (2013).

 

16. Y. Liu et al., Ostwald ripening of β-carotene nanoparticles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 (2007).

 

17.  Holzwarth et al., The Scherrer equation versus the'Debye-Scherrer equation, Nat. Nano. 6, 534 (2011).

 

18. Mody et al., Introduction to metallic nanoparticles, J.  Phar. Bio. Sci. 2, 282 (2010).

 

19.  Sing, SW Kenneth, Reporting physisorption data for gas/solid systems with special reference to the determination of surface area and porosity, Pur. App. Chem. 57, 603 (1985).

 

20.  TD. Shen et al., Enhanced radiation tolerance in nanocrystalline MgGa2O4, App. Phy. Let. 90, 263115 (2007).

 

21.   M. Roshanzamir, R. Khazaneh, Nuclear fuel based on its use in pressurized water reactors (AEOI, Iran, 1996) (in persian).

Keywords

Thorium fuel
Supercritical hydrothermal
Homogeneous
Nano powder
1.  Thorium Fuel Cycle., Potential benefits and challenges (IAEI, Vienna,  2005).
 
2.  Thorium Fuel Utilization: Options and Trends. (IAEI, Vienna,  2002).
 
3.  Fabrication of thorium fuel pellets using nanoparticles and microparticles of thorium dioxide and comparison of their physical properties, Ph.D thesis, Nuclear Science and Technology Institute and Amirkabir University (2016) (in persian).
 
4. S. Komarneni, Nanophase materials by hydrothermal, microwave-hydrothermal and microwave-solvothermal methods, Cur. Sci. Ban. 85, 1730 (2003).
 
5.    D. W. Matson et al., A flow-through hydrothermal method for the synthesis of active nanocrystalline catalysts, Adv. Tech. Cat. Pre.  259 (1996).
 
6.    H. Hayashi, Y. Hakuta, Hydrothermal synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles in supercritical water, Materials  3, 3794 (2010).
 
7.    M. Outokesh et al., Hydrothermal synthesis of CuO nanoparticles: study on effects of operational conditions on yield, purity, and size of the nanoparticles, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 50, 3540 (2011).
 
8.  S. Giri et al., Magnetic properties of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticle synthesized by a new hydrothermal method, J. Mag. Mag. Mat. 285  296 (2005).
 
 9.   Y. Arai, S. Takeshi, Y. Takebayashi, Reactions in supercritical fluids (Springer, Germany, 2013).
 
10. Y. Shigeru, Y. Takahashi, Preparation of high density (Th,vhkd,l U)O2 pellets by sol-gel microsphere pelletization and 1300°C air sintering,  J. Nucl. Mat. 217, 127 (1994).
 
11.   T. Pavelková et al., Preparation of UO2, ThO2 and (Th, U)O2 pellets from photochemically-prepared nano-powders, J. Nucl. Mat. 469, 57 (2016).
 
12. N.Hingant et al., sintering and leaching of optimized uranium thorium dioxides, J. Nucl. Mat. 385 400 (2009).
 
13.  G. Rousseau et al., Synthesis and characterization of nanometric powders of UO2+x,(Th, U)O2+x and (La,U)O2+ x, J. Sol. Stat. Chem. 182  2591 (2009).
 
 14.  N. Mohseni et al., Characterization of ThO2 and (Th,U)O2 pellets consolidated from NSD-sol gel derived nanoparticles, Cer. Inte. 43, 3025 (2017).
 
15.  S. J. Ahmadi et al., Optimization study on formation and decomposition of zinc hydroxynitrates to pure zinc oxide nanoparticles in supercritical water, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 52, 1448 (2013).
 
16. Y. Liu et al., Ostwald ripening of β-carotene nanoparticles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 (2007).
 
17.  Holzwarth et al., The Scherrer equation versus the'Debye-Scherrer equation, Nat. Nano. 6, 534 (2011).
 
18. Mody et al., Introduction to metallic nanoparticles, J.  Phar. Bio. Sci. 2, 282 (2010).
 
19.  Sing, SW Kenneth, Reporting physisorption data for gas/solid systems with special reference to the determination of surface area and porosity, Pur. App. Chem. 57, 603 (1985).
 
20.  TD. Shen et al., Enhanced radiation tolerance in nanocrystalline MgGa2O4, App. Phy. Let. 90, 263115 (2007).
 
21.   M. Roshanzamir, R. Khazaneh, Nuclear fuel based on its use in pressurized water reactors (AEOI, Iran, 1996) (in persian).

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