Miscibility Gap in the U–Nd–O Phase Diagram: a New Approach of Nuclear Oxides in the Environment?

Abstract

To some extent, rare-earth-doped UO(2) is representative of an irradiated nuclear fuel. The two phases we observed previously in neodymium-doped UO(2) are now interpreted as the existence of a miscibility gap in the U-Nd-O phase diagram using new results obtained with Raman spectroscopy. Extrapolating the miscibility gap in the U-Nd-O phase diagram to irradiated UO(2) opens the path to a new understanding of nuclear oxides in the environment.