Preparation and characterisation of Pu-pyrochlore:: [La1-xPux]2 Zr2O7 (x=0-1)

Thermal and X-ray powder diffraction studies were carried out on mixtures of PuO2, ZrO2 and graphite and La2O3, PuO2, ZrO2 and graphite. Pu2Zr2O7. a new cubic phase with pyrochlore structure (a = 1.0592 nm), was identified and characterised. The studies also established the existence of a continuous range of solid solution, [La1-xPux](2)Zr2O7 with x = 0 to 1. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.