ORNL -4189

C o n t r a c t No. W-7405 -eng-26

I S O T O P E S DEVELOPMEPIT CENTER

C O M P A T I B I L I T Y DATA SHEETS FOR CERIUM-144, CESIUM-13r( , CURIUM-, A.ID STRONTIUM-90

S. J. Rimshaw

E. E . Ketchen

Isotopes Division

NOVEMBER 1967

OAK R I D G E NATIONAL LABORATORY Oak R i d g e , Tennessee

operated. by UNION CABBIDE CORPORATION

f o r the U. S. P.TOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION

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iii

CONTENTS Fage

CERIUIV.144 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

CERIUM OXYSULFIDE ( C e 2 o 2 S ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . % I

CERIUM S ~ F I D E (Ce2S3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

CEROUS FLUORIDE ( C e F 3 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

CESIUN.137 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

CESIUM CHLORIDE ( C s C 1 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

cm.1m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

CURIUM-244 SESQUIOXIDE ( Cm20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

CURIUM-242 OXIDE CERMET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

STRONTIUM-90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

STRONTIUM-90 METAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

STROrJTIUM TITANATE (S rT i03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

STRONTIUM OXIDE (SrO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

S T R O I V I L M FLUORIDE (SrF2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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COMPATIBILITY DATA SHEZTS FOR CERIUM-144, CESIUM-137, CURIUM, A.ND STRONTIUM-90

CERIUM-144

REFERENCE COLUMN

The compatibil i . ty o f Ce202S with var ious containment ma te r i a l s 1 a t 1000°C and a t 1850"~ i s summarized as follows.

Container Maximum penet ra t ion observed, m i l s ma te r i a l 168 h r 500 hr 1000 hr

1000 " c Xastel loy X No a t t a c k Traces Traces Tungsten DTo a t t a c k No a t t a c k 2.0

Nionel 2.0 - - N-15 5 - - 2.5

1850"~

Molybdenum No a t t a c k No a t t a c k Traces Tantalum Traces Traces Traces Tungsten Traces Traces Traces

CERIUM SULFIDE (Ce2S3)

The compat ib i l i ty of Ce2S3 wi th var ious containment ma te r i a l s 2, 3 a t 1000°C i s summarized a s follows.

Container mat e r i a l

. Haynes 25 Molybdenum Ta n t alum Tungsten TZM Has te l loy X Nionel N-155

Maximum penet ra t ion observed, m i l s 168 hr 500 h r 1000 hr

1.5 1 . 5 0.1 0.1

N o a t t a c k Traces No a t t a c k No a t t a c k

0.1 0.2-1.0 No a t t a c k No a t t a c k No a t t a c k 6 Traces Traces

2.0 1.0

0.5-1.0 No a t t a c k

1.0 Traces

6 Traces

CEROUS FLUORIDE ( CeF3)

The compat ib i l i ty of CeF3 w i t h var ious containment ma te r i a l s 4 a t 1000°C f o r 1000 h r i s as follows.

Container ma te r i a l

I ias te l loy X Haynes 25 Molybdenum Niobium Nionel N - 1 5 5 Tantalum Tungsten

Remarks

S l igh t r eac t ion S l i g h t r eac t ion No v i s i b l e r eac t ion N o v i s i b l e r eac t ion Mo v i s i b l e r eac t ion N o v i s i b l e r eac t ion S l i g h t r e a c t ion Some r e a c t ion

REFERENCE COLIJMN CESTITM-137

CESIUM CI-IT.JOXIDE (csc1)

A C s C l source which was encapsulated i n s t a i n l e s s s t e e l and 5 contained 1540 cur i e s of 137Cs showed no s igns of r eac t ion a f t e r being opened nine years l a t e r . The source operated a t slightly above ambient room temperature.

CURIUM

CU~~IUM-244 SESQUIOXIDE ( cm2o3)

A molybdenum a l l o y containing 0. S$ t i t a n t i u m and 0.1% zirconium (TZM) was contacted with an oxide mixture containing 29 w t 6 244 Cm203, 57 w t $ 2 4 1 ~ 0 2 , and, 1 4 w t $ 2 3 9 ~ 0 2 . S t a t i c c a p s d e t e s t s a t 1.1-00"C for periods of 250 and. 1.030 hr and a t 2000°C f o r 25 h r showed no r eac t ion with molybdenum, even though t h e oxide

- -- 6

f u e l w a s molten a t 2000°C.

System

Cm203 powder i n W c ruc ib le

Cm203 powder on W f i lament

Cm203 powder on Ir f i lament

Cm203 powder on Pt-5O$ Rh f i lament

13 vo l $I B-type Cm203 i n a Ta rnatr i x

Temp, Time, "C hr A t m ---..- _I_ -I__

18 00

2150 (melted )

2150

1700

(melt e d )

1400

1 4% H2- 96$ He

1 He

10 02

1 2 10 -6 tor i -

Extent of r eac t ion

None detec ted v i s u a l l y 7

No reac t ion , wet t ing, o r 7 penetl 'dtion de tec ted by metallography o r by f i s - s ion fragment au toradi - 0 g I- a PhY

Curium penet ra t ion and 7 surface reaction'

No curium penet ra t ion 7 but poss ib le sur face r eac t i on

An un iden t i f i ed reac- 8 t i o n product was observed by metallography and X-ray d i f f r a c t i o n

Tes is at, 1100°C f o r 1000 h r and at, 2030°C f o r 24 hr w i t h an 6 oxide mixture containing 29 w t Cm203, >7' w t % Am02, and 1 4 w t :'o F u O 2 showed t h a t t h i s oxide mixkure was compatible with t h e a l l o y Mo-O.5% Ti-0.1% Zr (TZM).

With t h e use of i r idium in a metal-metal oxide cermet, a l l oy ing of i r idium with molybdenum was observed a t 2C)OO"C. A l s o t h e molten oxide mix appeared t o reac-t, wi th iridium t o form a lower melt ing a l loy . A'c 1000°C t h e r eac t ion between i r id ium and molybdenum was Loo slow t o be observed, a t l e a s t over ;I period of t jme of 1000 h r .

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STRONTIUM-90 REFERENCE COLUMN

STRONTIUM-90 METAL

Af te r exposure of 2036 h r a t 925°C t o l i q u i d s t ront ium metal, 9 it was found t h a t molybdenum and s t a i n l e s s s t e e l 321 showed good compat ib i l i ty with l i q u i d s t ront ium metal; t h a t wrought i r o n and Haynes 25 were worthy of f u r t h e r study; and t h a t Hastel loy C, Hastel loy N, Hastel loy X, and t i tanium had d i s - solved and were incompatible with s t ront ium metal.

No a t t a c k on molybdenum was observed a f t e r 5000-hr contact with l i q u i d s t ront ium metal a t 1000°C.

STRONTIUM TITANATE ( SrTi03)

The fol lowing results were obtained on stable SrTi03.

Container Maximum penet ra t ion observed, m i l s mat e r i a l 168 h r $00 hr 1000 h r

1000 O c Haynes 25 Traces 0.1 0.2

Nionel 1 .5 1.7 2.0 Tung s t en Traces 0.2 1 . 5 TZM No a t t a c k No a t t a c k No a t t a c k

Molybdenum N o a t t a c k N o a t t a c k No a t t a c k

1850"~ Molybdenum No a t t a c k No a t t a c k No a t t a c k

No a t t a c k Niobium No a t t a c k - Tantalum No a t t a c k Traces 3.0 Tungsten No a t t a c k - No a t t a c k TZM No a t t a c k Traces 5.0

STRONTIUM OXIDE (SrO)

The following r e s u l t s were obtained with SrO-7$ Be0 ma te r i a l a t 1000°C.

Container Maximum penet ra t ion observed, m i l s ma te r i a l 168 'rir 500 h r 1000 h r

Haynes 25 2.0 2.0 4.0 Molybde num - No a t t a c k N o a t t a c k

4.0 4.0-8.0 Nionel - N-155 1.0 1 .5 2.0-4.0 Tung s t en No a t t a c k N o a t t a c k No a t t a c k TZM No a t t a c k No a t t a c k No a t t a c k

10

2

2

4

- STRONTIUM FLUORIDE ( SrF2) REFEFBNCE C O L T J ~

Metallographic examination of t e s t specimens exposed f o r 11 19 months a t 925°C gave t h e following r e s u l t s .

Encapsulating Penetrat ion, in . mat e r i a1 Max irnux Average

Simulated SrF2 f u e l (1 w t $-eCa, 0.5 w t $ Fe)

Haynes 25 0.0006 nil. Ta l i n e r i n Coiiiplete pene t r a t ion of

Hastel loy C 0.001 0.0004 Hastel loy N 0. 00? 0.001 Haste l loy X 0.03 15 3.00L)L

Hayne s 25 'Ta 1 i ne r

Simulated aged feed ma te r i a l (SYF~ -1- 2-1/2 w t $ %r a s Zro2)

Haynes 25 0.0015 0.0008

Hastel loy C 0.0007 0.0003 Hastel loy N 0.0028 0.0011 Hastel loy X 0.0055 0. 00.lI-

'Fa l i n e r i n Complete pene t ra t ion of Iiaynes 25 Ta liner

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REFERENCES

1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, unpublished da ta ( c l a s s i f i e d ) , October 1965.

2. Oak Ridge National. Laboratory, unpublished da ta ( c l a s s i f i e d ) , May 1965.

3 . Oak Ridge National Laboratory, unpublished da ta ( c l a s s i f i e d ) , December 1965.

4. W. D. Box, personal communication, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, September 1966.

5. K. W. Haff, Examination of a Nine-Year-Old 137CsC1 Source Capsule, USAEC Rpt. ORNL TM-584, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (August 1963).

6 . J. R. DiStephano and E. J. Manthos, unpublished da ta , Oak Ridge Nat ional Lqboratory, August 1966.

7. Savannah River Laboratory, current experimental da ta , September 1966.

8. J. A. Donovan, unpublished da ta , Savannah River Laboratory, June 196-7.

9. Martin Company, unpublished da ta , January-March 1966.

10. Oak Ridge Nat ional Laboratory, unpublished da ta ( c l a s s i f i e d ) , June 1966.

11. Martin Company, unpublished da ta ( c l a s s i f i e d ) , May 1966.

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ORNL-4189 C-92a - Systems f o r Nuclear Auxil iary Power

14-3679 (52nd ed . ) (SNAP)-Isotopic SNAP Program

INTERNAL DISTRIBUTION

1-3. Centra l Research Library 4-5. ORNL - Y-12 Technical Library

Document Reference Sec t ion 6-15. Laboratory Records Department

16. Laboratory Records, ORNL R . C .

EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION

17. E. Lamb 18. H. G. MacPherson 1 9 . S. J. R i m s h a w 20. A. M . Weiriberg

21. R . T. Carpenter, Divis ion of Space Nuclear Systems, AEC, Washington 22. D. C . Davis, AEC, OR0 23. G . P. Dix, Divis ion of Space Nuclear Systems, AEC, Washington 24. S. L. Fawcett, D i rec to r , Battelle-Northwest Laboratory, Richland

25-27. E. E. Fowler, Divis ion of Isotopes Development, AEC, Washington 28. W. P. Overbeck, D i rec to r , Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken 29. J . A. Powers, Divis ion of Space Nuclear Systems, AEC, Washington 30. F. C . Schwenk, Divis ion of Space Nuclear Systems, AEC, Washington 31. D. 2. S c o t t , P lan t Manager, Mound Laboratory, Miamisburg, Ohio 32. S. J . Seiken, Divis ion of Reactor Development and Technology,

33. Univers i ty and Laboratory Div is ion , AEC, OR0 A E C , Washington

34-166. Given d i s t r i b u t i o n as shown i n M-3679 (52nd e d . ) under Systems f o r Nuclear Auxilia-ry Power (SNAP)-Isotopic SNAP Program category