Synthesis and characterization of homogeneous (U,Am)O₂ and (U,Pu,Am)O₂ nanopowders

This paper details the first dedicated production of homogeneous nanocrystalline particles of mixed actinide oxide solid solutions containing americium. The target compositions were $U_{0.75}Pu_{0.20}Am_{0.05}O_{2}$, $U_{0.90}Am_{0.10}O_{2}$ and $U_{0.80}Am_{0.20}O_{2}$. After successful hydrothermal synthesis and chemical characterisation, the nanocrystals were sintered and their structure and behaviour under self-irradiation were studied by powder XRD. Cationic charge distribution of the as-prepared nanocrystalline and sintered $U_{0.80}Am_{0.20}O_{2}$ materials was investigated applying $U M_{4}$ and $Am M_{5}$ edge high energy resolution XANES (HR-XANES). Typical oxidation states detected for the cations are $U_{(IV)}/U_{(V)}$ and $Am_{(III)}/Am_{(IV)}$. The measured crystallographic swelling was systematically smaller for the as-synthesised nanoparticles than the sintered products. For sintered pellets, the maximal volumetric swelling was about 0.8% at saturation, in line with literature data for $PuO_{2}$, $AmO_{2}$, $(U,Pu)O_{2}$ or $(U,Am)O_{2}$

Actinide oxides synthesis in molten chloride : structural studies and reaction mechanisms

L’étude réalisée au cours de cette thèse concerne la synthèse d’oxydes d’actinides en fin de procédé pour la refabrication de combustible nucléaire. Cette synthèse est réalisée par précipitation des chlorures d’actinides (III) solubilisés en milieu sel fondu LiCl-CaCl2 (30-70%mol) à 700°C par bullage d’argon humide. La méthode de conversion est décrite dans un premier temps pour la coprécipitation du néodyme et du cérium. Les taux de conversion des lanthanides deux sont de l’ordre de 99,9% et les poudres obtenues sont composées principalement d’oxychlorure mixte Ce1-yNdyOCl, et d’une faible proportion d’oxyde mixte Ce1-xNdxO2- 0,5x pour les mélanges les plus riches en cérium. Un second oxychlorure CeIV(Nd0.7Ce0.3)IIIO3Cl est également obtenu mais uniquement dans des conditions spécifiques et en très faible quantité. La structure de cet oxychlorure est décrite au cours de cette étude. Le caractère partiellement oxydant de la méthode de conversion est responsable de l’oxydation d’une partie du cérium (III) au degré (IV). Dans le cas de la conversion de l’uranium par bullage d’argon humide, l’ensemble de l’uranium est oxydé pour former l’oxyde UO2 comme unique composé. Le taux de conversion est supérieur à 99,9% pour cet élément, mais une partie de l’uranium est perdue par volatilisation au cours de la conversion. Enfin, la coconversion U(III)-Pu(III) met en évidence la plus grande sensibilité de l’uranium (III) comparativement au plutonium (III) vis-à-vis de la précipitation, responsable d’une précipitation successive des deux éléments, et aboutissant à la formation d’un mélange d’UO2 et de PuO2 avec des taux de conversion quantitatifs.The study developed in this thesis concerns actinide oxides synthesis for nuclear fuel refabrication, and more specifically, the actinide (III) precipitation in molten salt LiCl-CaCl2 (30-70%mol) salt at 700°C using wet argon sparging. First, this conversion method is described for neodymium (III) and cerium (III) coconversion. The conversion rates are around 99.9%, and the obtained powders contain mixed oxychloride Ce1-xNdxOCl as main component, with a small amount of mixed oxide Ce1-xNdxO2-0.5x for the high cerium ratio. A second oxychloride CeIV(Nd0.7Ce0.3)IIIO3Cl is obtained in specific conditions and in very low quantity. The structure of this oxychloride is described in this study. The partially oxidative property of the conversion method induces the oxidation of a part of cerium (III) to oxidation state (IV). In the case of uranium (III) conversion by wet argon sparging, all the uranium is oxidized and give the oxide UO2 as single compound. The conversion rate for this element is over 99.9% in the molten chloride, but significant amount of uranium is lost by volatilization during the conversion. Finally, the U(III) and Pu(III) coconversion study shows the highest precipitation sensitivity of uranium (III) in comparison with plutonium (III), responsible of a successive conversion of the two elements, giving an oxide mixture of UO2 et PuO2 with quantitative conversion rate. Surprisingly, the conversion of Pu(III) in the same conditions led to a mixture of PuO2 and PuOCl, characteristic of a partial oxidation from Pu (III) to Pu (IV), in contrast with coconversion of U(III)-Pu(III)

Mobilisation et gestion des informations liées aux pratiques agricoles : systèmes d`information à référence spatiale partagés et moyens de communication interopérables

National audienceThe traceability of agricultural production requires the acquisition and the exchange of data related to cultural operations and farm practices. Farms need to manage and exchange a large volume of information issued from several acquisition systems. Thus, as presented in this paper, it becomes essential to use the new information and communication technologies in order to facilitate the georeferenced data exchange in the concerned information systems, and to improve the formal specification of the computer-based applications to set up for this communication. This requires the development of communicating information systems suitable to the specificities of the agricultural activity and the rural world. Thanks to their contributions to the sustainable management, these systems and the associated conceptual methods completely depend on the Environmental Technologies i.e. the technologies which are rational from an ecological point of view.La traçabilité de la production agricole requière l`acquisition et l`échange des données relatives aux interventions culturales et aux pratiques des exploitations agricoles. Les exploitations agricoles se trouvent donc dans l`obligation de gérer et d`échanger un grand nombre d`informations issues de systèmes d`acquisition multiples. Ainsi, comme traité dans cet article, il devient indispensable d`utiliser les toutes dernières technologies de l`information et de la communication afin de faciliter l`échange des données principalement géoréférencées au sein des systèmes d`information impliqués, tout en améliorant la spécification formelle des applications informatiques à mettre en place pour cette communication. Cela nécessite la conception et la mise en oeuvre de systèmes d`information communicants adaptés aux spécificités de l`activité agricole et plus largement du monde rural. Par leurs contributions au développement durable, ces systèmes et les méthodes de conception associées relèvent totalement des écotechnologies c`est-à-dire des technologies écologiquement rationnelles

Planned failures from the principle of maximum site occupancy in lanthanide helicates

Despite the recent emergence of a toolbox fitted with microscopic thermodynamic descriptors for predicting the stabilities and speciations of polynuclear complexes in solution, the discovery of novel or unusual type of metal-ligand assemblies in metallosupramolecular chemistry still often relies on serendipity. In order to highlight the novel perspectives offered by a rational exploitation of these thermodynamic parameters, the segmental bis-tridentate ligands L7 and L8 have been designed for providing effective molarities upon reaction with trivalent lanthanides, Ln(III), so small that the saturated binuclear triple-stranded helicates [Ln(2)(Lk)(3)](6+), which obey the well-respected principle of maximum site occupancy, cannot be detected in solution because of their deliberately planned instabilities. The hierarchical evolution of the effective molarities with an increasing number of ligand strands in these complexes indeed favors the formation of the alternative unsaturated single-stranded [Ln(2)(Lk)](6+) and double-stranded [Ln(2)(Lk)(2)](6+) complexes, whose relative speciations in solution depend on the nature of the binding sites introduced into the segmental ligand

How to design geographic database? Specific UML profile and spatial OCL applied to wireless Ad Hoc networks

This paper focuses on the description of a specific formalism for geographic database design and a complementary language for the expression of topological constraints. The proposed formalism enables designers to easily and clearly specify aspects related to geographic information. For that, our proposition uses concepts that are easy to understand for GIS (Geographic Information System) designers. Indeed, the main goal of our works is to respond to the needs of geographic database designers in offering a formalism more adapted to the field of GIS than classical modelling languages. Moreover, we also address the problem of precisely express topological constraints in complement of the geographic object description

Uranium (III)-Plutonium (III) co-precipitation in molten chloride

International audienceCo-management of the actinides in an integrated closed fuel cycle by a pyrochemical process is studied at the laboratory scale in France in the CEA-ATALANTE facility. In this context the co-precipitation of U(III) and Pu(III) by wet argon sparging in LiCl-CaCl2 (30–70 mol%) molten salt at 705 °C is studied. Pu(III) is prepared in situ in the molten salt by carbochlorination of PuO2 and U(III) is then introduced as UCl3 after chlorine purge by argon to avoid any oxidation of uranium up to U(VI) by Cl2. The oxide conversion yield through wet argon sparging is quantitative. However, the preferential oxidation of U(III) in comparison to Pu(III) is responsible for a successive conversion of the two actinides, giving a mixture of UO2 and PuO2 oxides. Surprisingly, the conversion of sole Pu(III) in the same conditions leads to a mixture of PuO2 and PuOCl, characteristic of a partial oxidation of Pu(III) to Pu(IV). This is in contrast with coconversion of U(III)-Pu(III) mixtures but in agreement with the conversion of Ce(III)

Uranium (III) precipitation in molten chloride by wet argon sparging

International audienceIn the context of pyrochemical processes for nuclear fuel treatment, the precipitation of uranium (III) in molten salt LiCl-CaCl$_2$ (30–70 mo per cent) at 705 C is studied. First, this molten chloride is characterized with the determination of the water dissociation constant. With a value of 10$^{−4.0}$, the salt has oxoacid properties. Then, the uranium (III) precipitation using wet argon sparging is studied. The salt is prepared using UCl3 precursor. At the end of the precipitation, the salt is totally free of solubilized uranium. The main part is converted into UO2 powder but some uranium is lost during the process due to the volatility of uranium chloride. The main impurity of the resulting powder is calcium. The consequences of oxidative and reductive conditions on precipitation are studied. Finally, coprecipitation of uranium (III) and neodymium (III) is studied, showing a higher sensitivity of uranium (III) than neodymium (III) to precipitation