Thermal cycling as a novel method to experimentally derive the “equilibrium” Pu–Ga phase diagram

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Michael Ling
• 关键词：Thermal cycling ; Pu–Ga alloy ; Phase diagram ; DSC
• 刊名：Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：January 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：127
• 期：1
• 页码：345-353
• 全文大小：
• 刊物类别：Chemistry and Materials Science
• 刊物主题：Physical Chemistry; Analytical Chemistry; Polymer Sciences; Inorganic Chemistry; Measurement Science and Instrumentation;
• 出版者：Springer Netherlands
• ISSN：1588-2926
• 卷排序：127

文摘

The feasibility of using thermal cycling to experimentally derive the “equilibrium” Pu–Ga phase diagram in the Pu-rich end is discussed, in particular the effect of thermal cycling on the decomposition of δ-stabilized Pu alloys at ambient pressure. This is an alternative to the Russian method and was originally proposed by the author on the basis of a thorough analysis of data from a systematic thermal cycling experiment performed on annealed and aged δ-stabilized Pu–Ga alloys. These were subject to repetitive thermal cycling in the temperature range 25–180 °C, which was found to drive and accelerate the Pu–Ga system towards its “equilibrium” state, as demonstrated by continuous α-phase in-growth with each thermal cycle. An experimental programme to confirm these initial observations is proposed, and the “constrained” equilibrium Pu–Ga phase diagram that might be expected from this method is outlined.