Alpha-radiolysis effects on UO₂ alteration in water

The behaviour of UO₂/water interface under irradiation has been investigated as a function of alpha flux using an alpha beam provided by a cyclotron. The effects of alpha-radiolysis on UO₂ alteration in aerated deionized water were studied by characterizing both the chemistry of irradiated aqueous solutions and the UO₂ surface. Uranium (as uranyl ion UO₂²⁺) and hydrogen peroxide concentration (H₂O₂) increased whereas pH decreased in the irradiated solutions when alpha-beam flux increased. The formation of hydrated uranium peroxide (metastudtite UO₄·2H₂O) on UO₂ leached surface was identified by X-ray diffractometry. The production of metastudtite can be considered as a direct effect of water radiolysis due to the production of radiolytic species H₂O₂, since its formation is known to occur out of irradiation via a precipitation reaction between hydrogen peroxide and uranyl ion. From both these observations and literature about hydrated uranium peroxide occurrence, the possibility of metastudtite formation on nuclear spent fuel in storage conditions is discussed.