• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.235-243
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• 2014

Surface oxidation behavior of ZIRLO (ZIRconium Low Oxidation) hulls was investigated using an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique. The effects of oxidation time (10-336 h at $500^{\circ}C$) and temperature ($400-700^{\circ}C$ for 10 h) were studied. Deconvolution results of the hulls oxidized at $500^{\circ}C$ revealed that a $ZrO_2$ phase appeared after 24 h (11.86%), and an increase in the $ZrO_2$ ratio was observed when the hulls were oxidized for 336 h (17.93%). On the other hand, the ZrO phase which employed 5.68% in the 10 h oxidized sample disappeared when the oxidation time increased to 24 h. The XPS results also showed that an increase in the oxidation temperature resulted in an increase in the ratio of ZrO, which increased from 0 to 5.68, 8.31, and 9.16% when the oxidation temperature increased from 400 to 500, 600, and $700^{\circ}C$, respectively. $ZrO_2$ phase was observed only in the sample that was oxidized at $700^{\circ}C$. The mechanism of ZrO formation was not conclusive, but it was suggested that a formation of hydroxide might have been accelerated at elevated temperatures leading to a formation of a $Zr(OH)_4$ phase. The relationship between the surface oxidation status of the hulls oxidized at $500^{\circ}C$ and their chlorination reaction feasibility was discussed, and it was suggested that the thickness of the oxide layer is an important parameter that determines the chlorination reaction feasibility.