Uranium trioxide is produced in the chemical conversion steps of the refinement of uranium-containing ores and it is also generated as an output from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.  This work focuses on how the different conditions used in the production of UO3 influence the distribution of polymorphic forms in the UO3 product.  By using X-ray diffraction, along with infrared, UV/Vis, and Raman spectroscopies we have correlated spectroscopic signatures of the UO3 product to production conditions.  One of the more complex production pathways studied was the conversion of (NH4)4UO2(CO3)3 to UO3.  These studies have revealed that this conversion results in three different phases of UO3:  amorphous-UO3, a-UO3 and �-UO3.  The distribution of phases in this conversion process is dictated by the heating conditions used.  Understanding the polymorphic nature of UO3 and developing spectroscopic signatures for industrially relevant production pathways can be a powerful tool for establishing and confirming the origin of this component in the uranium fuel cycle.PNNL-SA-94484

Understanding the polymorphic nature of UO<sub>3</sub> to infer process history

246th National Meeting (2013)

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Understanding the polymorphic nature of UO3 to infer process history

Understanding the polymorphic nature of UO₃ to infer process history