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.