PNNL

Abstract

In this work we have applied liquid-helium temperature (LHeT) time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLIF) to characterize a series of natural and synthetic minerals of uranium carbonate, phosphate and oxyhydroxides including rutherfordine, zellerite, liebigite, phosphuranylite, meta-autunite, meta-torbernite, uranyl phosphate, sodium-uranyl-phosphate, bequerelite, clarkeite, curite, schoepite and compregnacite, and compared their spectral characteristics among these minerals as well as our previously published data on uranyl silicates. For the carbonate minerals, the fluorescence spectra depend on the stoichiometry of the mineral. For the phosphate minerals the fluorescence spectra closely resemble each other despite the differences in their composition and structure. For all uranium oxyhydroxides, the fluorescence spectra are largely red-shifted as compared with those of the uranium carbonates and phosphates and their vibronic bands are broadened and less resolved. The much enhanced spectra resolution at LHeT allows more accurate calculation of the O=U=O symmetrical stretch frequency, ?1, corresponding to the average spacing of the vibronic peaks of the fluorescence spectra and the spectral origin as reflected by the position of the first vibronic band. It was found that both the average ?1 and ?1 values correlate well with the average basicity of the inorganic anion.