Uranium–plutonium partitioning in aerosols produced from (U,Pu)O2 mixed oxide by laser heating

Abstract Aerosols were produced from a MOX (Mixed Oxide of uranium and plutonium) sample by laser heating up to 4000 K under atmospheric conditions. They were collected with a cascade impactor as function of their aerodynamic size, and studied by SEM, EDS, TEM, EELS, SAED and ICPMS. The uranium and plutonium concentrations were related to the aerosol morphology, size and formation temperature. A clear decrease of the Plutonium concentration was observed as function of the Aerodynamic Equivalent Diameter (AED). Some bigger aerosols enriched in Plutonium were found which originated from solidification of ejected droplets of the liquid phase at the surface of the sample.