Materials Science Forum, Vol.299, 126-131, 1999
Lead iron phosphate powders produced by melting and fast cooling
Lead iron phosphate glasses are potentially useful for nuclear waste immobilization, and others applications. Lead iron phosphate glass powders were obtained from a mixture of NH4H2PO4, PbO and Fe2O3 melted in an induction furnace and fast cooled. After milling, the material was pressed in a die and finally sintered. The particle size distribution, specific surface area? density values and crystalline phases were determined. Three amorphous halos were observed with intensities depending on the particle size distribution. These halos were assigned to be from ferric metaphosphate (Fe(PO3)(3), lead orthophosphate Pb-3(PO4)(2) and lead metaphosphate Pb(PO3)(2) compounds. It is proposed that ferric metaphosphate is the main compound on the surface of the particles and lead orthophosphate and lead metaphosphate are in the inner part of the particles. The milling process allows to exhibit these compounds which are then detected by the X-rays diffraction. Pre-sintered pellets were exposed to CsCl aqueous solution and the absorption of Cs has been determined by SEM. Crystallization temperatures were determined by thermal analyses, and it is noted that the maximum is displaced from 534 degrees C to 543 degrees C for samples containing CsCL The surface area was determined to be 29 cm(2)/g after milling.
Keywords:GLASSES