Reactions of Sodium Peroxide with Components of Legacy Plutonium Materials

Plutonium oxide (PuO2) calcined at >900 °C resists dissolution in nitric acid (HNO3)-potassium fluoride (KF) solutions commonly used for their dissolution. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has developed an alternate method for large samples of PuO2-bearing materials using sodium peroxide (Na2O2) fusion as a pretreatment. The products of the reaction between Na2O2 and PuO2 have been reported in the literature. As part of the SRNL development effort, additional data about the reaction between Na2O2 and PuO2 were required. Also needed were data concerning the reaction of Na2O2 with other components that may be present in the feed materials. Sodium peroxide was reacted with aluminum metal (Al), beryllium metal (Be), graphite, potassium chloride (KCl), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), and calcium chloride (CaCl2). The paper reports and discusses the reaction products of these and related compounds with Na2O2.