Synthesis and Characterisation of Magnesium-Doped Zirconolite-2M Ceramic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56919/usci.2542.009Keywords:
High level waste, waste management, Nuclear Waste, MagnesiumAbstract
Study’s Excerpt:
• Mg-doped Zirconolite was synthesised and characterised.
• Single-phase Mg-doped Zirconolite was discovered at a lower doping level.
• Impurities were identified within Mg-doped Zirconolite.
• Theoretical computation complements experimental findings.
Full Abstract:
Zirconolite has been considered a promising host matrix for plutonium immobilization because of its enhanced properties. In this work, a range of zirconolite solid solutions with stoichiometric Ca₍₁₋ₓ₎Zr₍₁₊ₓ₎Ti⁴⁺₍₂₋ₓ₎Mg²⁺₍ₓ₎O₇ were carefully explored to investigate magnesium solubility in zirconolite-2M ceramic. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the materials. Theoretical formulae, Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering (RSPS), and air sintering were used to determine the samples' elemental compositions. Single-phase zirconolite-2M was discovered in Ca₍₁₋ₓ₎Zr₍₁₊ₓ₎Ti⁴⁺₍₂₋ₓ₎Mg²⁺₍ₓ₎O₇ together with perovskite and zirconia phases in the air-sintered samples. As opposed to this, the RSPS shows a complete fit into the zirconolite-2M of Ca₍₁₋ₓ₎Zr₍₁₊ₓ₎Ti⁴⁺₍₂₋ₓ₎Mg²⁺₍ₓ₎O₇. The elemental composition of the air sintering and RSPS samples is theoretically consistent with the XRD and SEM results, which demonstrated the full incorporation of magnesium on the Ti site of Ca₍₁₋ₓ₎Zr₍₁₊ₓ₎Ti⁴⁺₍₂₋ₓ₎Mg²⁺₍ₓ₎O₇. Therefore, the results indicated the high capability of the zirconolite-2M compound to immobilize divalent cations within the single-phase waste form.
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