Publication Date:
2018-03-09
Description:
A natural polymineral compound in which the major uranium-containing mineral is polycrase (Ti- Ta-niobate) described by the formula АВ 2 О 6 was chosen as a model for studying the behavior of recoil atoms produced by α-decay of actinides. Polycrase, despite its metamict structure, is characterized by the following features distinguishing it from Ti-Ta-niobates of the formula А 2 В 2 О 7 (pyrochlore and betafite): (1) 1/3 of uranium atoms preserve the initial valence state, U(IV); (2) the U(IV) fraction is characterized by the isotope activity ratio AR( 234 U/ 238 U) close to that at secular equilibrium; (3) the uranium atoms that underwent oxidation “memorize” their radiogenic origin; as a result, the AR( 234 U/ 238 U) ratio in the U(VI) fraction is 0.90, and in the most altered part of the mineral it decreases to 0.77; (4) the parent uranium is relatively stable in the metamict structure of polycrase: The half-leaching time for 238 U atoms is 2 times longer than that in betafite, zircon, or sphene.
Print ISSN:
1066-3622
Electronic ISSN:
1608-3288
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
