Abstract
From leaching experiments with metallic uranium-aluminum research reactor fuel elements in repository-relevant MgCl2-rich salt brines, a Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) with chloride as the interlayer anion was identified as a crystalline secondary phase component. The incorporation behavior of europium into the structure of the Mg-Al-Cl LDH was investigated. Synthesis via co-precipitation was performed. The Mg-Al-Eu-Cl LDH obtained was treated with a concentrated ammonium carbonate solution. No release of Eu was detected; hence the molar stoichiometry of the LDH remained stable with respect to Mg, Al and Eu. This chemical behavior might be the first indication of the incorporation of Eu.
The material was further examined by powder X-ray diffraction. Structural parameters were obtained from comparisons of simulated and experimental diffraction patterns of a \({\rm{CO}}_3^{2 - }\)-exchanged Mg-Al-Eu LDH and a Mg-Al LDH. The two materials showed different behaviors according to stacking order and lattice parameters. This is an indirect indication of the incorporation of Eu.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allmann, R. and Donnay, J.D.H. (1969) About the structure of iowaite. American Mineralogist, 54, 296–298.
Bergmann, J., Friedel, P. and Kleeberg, R. (1998) BGMN — a new fundamental parameters based Rietveld program for laboratory X-ray sources, its use in quantitative analysis and structure investigations. Commission of Powder Diffraction, International Union of Crystallography, CPD Newsletter, 20, 5–8.
Bookin, A.S. and Drits, V.A. (1993) Polytype diversity of the hydrotalcite-like minerals. I. Possible polytypes and their diffraction features. Clays and Clay Minerals, 41, 551–557.
Brücher, H., Curtius, H. and Fachinger, J. (2001) R&D for Back-End options for irradiated research reactor fuel in Germany. Transactions of the 5th Topical Meeting on Research Reactor Fuel Management, April 1–3 2001, Aachen, Germany, ENS RRFM.
Drits, V.A. and Bookin, A.S. (2001) Crystal structure and X-ray identification of layered double hydroxides. Pp. 39–92 in: Layered Double Hydroxides: Present and Future (V. Rives, editor). Nova Science, New York.
Drits, V. A. and Tchoubar, C. (1990) X-ray Diffraction by Disordered Lamellar Structures. Springer Verlag, New York, 371 pp.
Duff, C.M., Coughlin, J.U. and Hunter D.G. (2002) Uranium co-precipitation with iron oxide minerals. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 66, 3533–3547.
Hou, X., Kalinichev, A.G. and Kirkpatrick, R.J. (2002) Interlayer structure and dynamics of Cl−-LiAl2-layered double hydroxide: 35C1 NMR observations and molecular dynamics modelling. Chemistry of Materials, 14, 2078–2085.
Mazeina, L., Curtius, H., Fachinger, J. and Odoj, R. (2003) Characterisation of secondary products of uranium-aluminium material test reactor fuel element corrosion in repository-relevant brine. Journal of Nuclear Material, 323, 1–7.
Miyata, S. (1975) The synthesis of hydrotalcite-like compounds and their structures and physico-chemical properties. Clays and Clay Minerals, 31, 369–375.
Mullica, D.F., Milligan, W.O. and Beall, G.W. (1979) Crystal Structures of Pr(OH)3, Eu(OH)3 and Tm(OH)3. Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, 41, 525–532.
Plançon, A. (2002) CALCIPOW: a program for calculating the diffraction by disordered lamellar structures. Journal of Applied Crystallography, 35, 377.
Radha, A.V., Shivakumara, C. and Kamath, P.V. (2005) DIFFaX simulations of stacking faults in layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Clays and Clay Minerals, 53, 520–527.
Rietveld, H.M. (1967) Line profiles of neutron powder-diffraction peaks for structure refinement. Acta Crystallographica, 22, 151–152.
Solovyov, L.A. (2004) Full-profile refinement by derivative difference minimization. Journal of Appied Crystallography, 37, 743–749.
Stumpf, T., Curtius, H., Walther, C., Dardenne, K., Ufer, K. and Fanghänel, Th. (2007) Incorporation of Eu(III) into a hydrotalcite: a TRLFS and EXAFS study. Environmental Science and Technology, 41, 3186–3191.
Thomas, G.S., Rajamathi, M. and Kamath, P.V. (2004) DiffaX simulations of polytypism and disorder in hydrotalcite. Clays and Clay Minerals, 52, 693–699.
Weiss, A. and Toth, E. (1996) Untersuchungen zur Synthese, Quellungseigenschaften und Anionenaustausch von kristallchemisch modifizierten Doppelhydroxiden vom Hydrotalkit-Typ. Jahrestagung der DTTG, Freiberg, 267–276.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Curtius, H., Ufer, K. Eu incorporation behavior of a Mg-Al-Cl layered double hydroxide. Clays Clay Miner. 55, 354–360 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.2007.0550403
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.2007.0550403