Micro-Raman Spectrum of Triuranium Octoxide, U₃O₈

Author： Butler Ian S. Allen Geoffrey C. Tuan Nguyen A.

Publisher： Society for Applied Spectroscopy

ISSN： 0003-7028

Source： Applied Spectroscopy, Vol.42, Iss.5, 1988-07, pp. : 901-902

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

Uranium oxides are important nuclear reactor fuels and there are at least nine oxides known, many of which are mixed valence and polymorphic. Transmission-IR spectroscopy has proven to be a useful method for characterizing the oxides. For instance, IR spectra and vibrational assignments have been reported for UO₂, UO_2.05, UO_2.08, UO_2.18, U₄O₉, and U₃O₈. Some of the results have recently been verified for UO₂ and U₃O₈ with the use of a metal light pipe technique. Previous attempts to obtain complementary Raman data were frustrated because of the extremely dark colors of the materials. We have now shown that it is possible to surmount this problem using micro-Raman spectroscopy, and we have reported characteristic Raman spectra of UO₂, U₄O₉, U₃O₇, and U₃O₈. However, no assignments were proposed for the observed spectra.