Pre- and post-oxidation Raman analysis of (U, Ce)O2 oxides

Abstract A pre- and post-oxidation detailed Raman analysis has been carried out on a variety of (U 1-y ,Ce y )O 2- x oxides ( y  = 0.01, 0.03, 0.10, 0.15, 0.40). The changes undergone in the Raman spectrum of UO 2 as a function of Ce incorporation have been examined, thus extracting valuable information on the structural features and changes of these solid solutions, including the presence of vacancies in the cations' surroundings. Comparison of the results extracted from the post-oxidation analyses of Ce-containing samples with those obtained for pure UO 2 confirms that a Ce content as low as 1 mol% leads to a protective effect on the dioxide matrix against oxidation and that, under identical conditions, the oxidation process is slowed down as Ce concentration increases.