Gas generation from water adsorbed onto pure plutonium dioxide powder

摘要

The production of H_2 from α-particle radiolysis of water adsorbed onto plutonium dioxide powders has been studied. Plutonium dioxide powders with specific surface areas of 1.0 and 21 m~2/g were used. The specific surface area strongly affects the amount of water adsorbed. At water coverage between 1 and 2 monolayers the H_2 yield per unit of energy deposited into the water is found to be between 0.05 and 0.13 molecules of H_2 per 100 eV adsorbed dose (5 to 12 nmols/s W). The H_2 yield increases to between 0.29 and 0.58 molecules per 100 eV adsorbed dose (28 to 56 nmol/s W) when the number of adsorbed monolayers of water is between 10 and 20. The latter H_2 yield is similar to that of liquid water of 0.45 molecules per 100 eV adsorbed dose.