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Thermochemical data for reactor materials and fission products
270
Journal
of Nuclear
Materials
175 (1990) 270-271 North-Holland
Book review
Thermochemical Data for Reactor Materials and Fission Products, Eds. E.H.P. Cordfunke and R.J.M. Konings, preface by 0. Kubaschewski (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1990) 40 figures, 89 + 197 tables, 696 pages; ISBN O-444-88485-8; hard cover price: US$ 192.25. Available in USA/Canada from Elsevier Science Publishing Co. Inc., P.O. Box 882, Madison Square Station, New York, NY 10159, USA
The thermodynamics of reactor materials and fission products is of high significance in the fields of the nuclear fuel cycle and the nuclear reactor safety. This necessitates the knowledge of thermochemical data in the area of the reactor materials-fission product systems. The volume edited by E.H.P. Cordfunke and R.J.M. Konings fills the gap of critically assessed data of these systems most of which were investigated in the last decade to meet the requirements in nuclear technology and, therefore, are in general not contained in the well-known JANAF tables. The first part of the volume is concerned with the critical assessment of crystal structure data and phase transitions, of the heat capacity, entropy, enthalpy of formation and vapourization behaviour of elements and compounds of 91 selected binary and ternary systems with emphasis on the oxides, iodides and tellurides. Recommended values and their accuracy are given on the basis of an evaluation of the respective original data. The assessment includes also the compilation of phase diagrams of some systems that have not yet been incorporated into reference books on the constitution of binary systems. The second part of the volume gives a computer print-out of the thermodynamic properties in 197 tables of elements and binary and ternary compounds in their different states of aggregation. The numerical tabulations cover the standard thermodynamic functions, heat capacity, standard entropy, Gibbs energy function, enthalpy, enthalpy of formation and Gibbs energy of formation in 100 degrees intervals between room temperature and 3000 K. In many cases extrapolations have been made to the upper temperature region. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland)
The choice of the systems is restricted mainly to those fission products which arc of importance in the analysis of the release of radioactive nuclides in the event of nuclear reactor excursions and of reaction5 of defective fuel pins with the LWR and FBR coolants. Fission product alloys play a minor role. and their compounds with cladding material components are disregarded. The reactor materials are focused on the binary Am-O. Pu-0 and II-0 systems. Unfortunately. the thermodynamics and constitution of the important ternary U-Pu--0 system is not treated in this volume. Some errors might not be overlooked by the reader. Avogadro’s number and the unit of the molar gas constant are incorrectly given in table 1. The unit of the dissociation energy is not explained in table 2. The Am-O phase diagram is on principle erroneous in the monotectic region (fig. 2). The abscissa of the TeO,-CszTeO, system is not explained (fig. 9). The addition of an isothermal section of the Mo- Ru-Pd system should have been added for better understanding of the course of the molybdenum activity in the ternary (fig. 22). The miscibility gap in the monotectic region of the U-U02 system seems to be too steep in view of the UO, boiling point of about 3800 K (fig. 33). “The solubility of UO, in a-Zr(0) is XI-25 mol%,” should read “. . . in liquid Zr melt (L,)” on page 491 for reconcilation with the Zr-UO, phase diagram (fig. 40). The graphical lay-out of the figures does not fully meet the requirements of the user of this reference book. It is interesting to note that a similar reference book on “Thermochemical Data of Pure Substances” by 1. Barin was published at the same time. A comparison of the two compilations suggests a generous judgement of
Book review
the authors for the selection of the best value of the respective property which can result in a difference of several percents. Numerous recently published original data were evaluated in Cordfunke’s and Koning’s assessment. The selected systems are in many cases complementary to those contained in the established reference books. Therefore, the actual compilation deserves benevolent
271
attention among the nuclear engineers and the physical metallurgists who are active in the field of nuclear reactor safety analysis. H. Kleykamp Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Institut ftir Material- und Festkiirperforschung D-7500 Karlsruhe, Fed. Rep. Germany
Journal
of Nuclear
Materials
175 (1990) 270-271 North-Holland
Book review
Thermochemical Data for Reactor Materials and Fission Products, Eds. E.H.P. Cordfunke and R.J.M. Konings, preface by 0. Kubaschewski (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1990) 40 figures, 89 + 197 tables, 696 pages; ISBN O-444-88485-8; hard cover price: US$ 192.25. Available in USA/Canada from Elsevier Science Publishing Co. Inc., P.O. Box 882, Madison Square Station, New York, NY 10159, USA
The thermodynamics of reactor materials and fission products is of high significance in the fields of the nuclear fuel cycle and the nuclear reactor safety. This necessitates the knowledge of thermochemical data in the area of the reactor materials-fission product systems. The volume edited by E.H.P. Cordfunke and R.J.M. Konings fills the gap of critically assessed data of these systems most of which were investigated in the last decade to meet the requirements in nuclear technology and, therefore, are in general not contained in the well-known JANAF tables. The first part of the volume is concerned with the critical assessment of crystal structure data and phase transitions, of the heat capacity, entropy, enthalpy of formation and vapourization behaviour of elements and compounds of 91 selected binary and ternary systems with emphasis on the oxides, iodides and tellurides. Recommended values and their accuracy are given on the basis of an evaluation of the respective original data. The assessment includes also the compilation of phase diagrams of some systems that have not yet been incorporated into reference books on the constitution of binary systems. The second part of the volume gives a computer print-out of the thermodynamic properties in 197 tables of elements and binary and ternary compounds in their different states of aggregation. The numerical tabulations cover the standard thermodynamic functions, heat capacity, standard entropy, Gibbs energy function, enthalpy, enthalpy of formation and Gibbs energy of formation in 100 degrees intervals between room temperature and 3000 K. In many cases extrapolations have been made to the upper temperature region. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland)
The choice of the systems is restricted mainly to those fission products which arc of importance in the analysis of the release of radioactive nuclides in the event of nuclear reactor excursions and of reaction5 of defective fuel pins with the LWR and FBR coolants. Fission product alloys play a minor role. and their compounds with cladding material components are disregarded. The reactor materials are focused on the binary Am-O. Pu-0 and II-0 systems. Unfortunately. the thermodynamics and constitution of the important ternary U-Pu--0 system is not treated in this volume. Some errors might not be overlooked by the reader. Avogadro’s number and the unit of the molar gas constant are incorrectly given in table 1. The unit of the dissociation energy is not explained in table 2. The Am-O phase diagram is on principle erroneous in the monotectic region (fig. 2). The abscissa of the TeO,-CszTeO, system is not explained (fig. 9). The addition of an isothermal section of the Mo- Ru-Pd system should have been added for better understanding of the course of the molybdenum activity in the ternary (fig. 22). The miscibility gap in the monotectic region of the U-U02 system seems to be too steep in view of the UO, boiling point of about 3800 K (fig. 33). “The solubility of UO, in a-Zr(0) is XI-25 mol%,” should read “. . . in liquid Zr melt (L,)” on page 491 for reconcilation with the Zr-UO, phase diagram (fig. 40). The graphical lay-out of the figures does not fully meet the requirements of the user of this reference book. It is interesting to note that a similar reference book on “Thermochemical Data of Pure Substances” by 1. Barin was published at the same time. A comparison of the two compilations suggests a generous judgement of
Book review
the authors for the selection of the best value of the respective property which can result in a difference of several percents. Numerous recently published original data were evaluated in Cordfunke’s and Koning’s assessment. The selected systems are in many cases complementary to those contained in the established reference books. Therefore, the actual compilation deserves benevolent
271
attention among the nuclear engineers and the physical metallurgists who are active in the field of nuclear reactor safety analysis. H. Kleykamp Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Institut ftir Material- und Festkiirperforschung D-7500 Karlsruhe, Fed. Rep. Germany