Actinide volatilization behaviour and reaction with ferrous metal during severe accident scenario

Meier, R.; Kitagaki, Toru  ; Onuki, Toshihiko*

During severe accident scenarios, actinides can volatilize and subsequently react with ferrous metal in different parts of the reactors. Their behavior and potential release to the environment needs to be investigated. To this end, this study investigates high temperature reactions of actinides with ferrous metals. A focused light was used as a heating device and the heated materials were analysed by SEM-EDS and XRD to acquire information about the formed phases and specific sorption phenomena on steel surface. This study provides fundamental information about the distribution and chemical properties of actinide compounds potentially formed in the damaged reactor vessel, as well as their vapor and aerosol behavior, for the planned decommissioning of the Fukushima NPPs.