Interaction of water vapor with clean and oxygen-covered uranium surfaces

Abstract

The interaction of water vapor with clean and oxygen-covered high-purity polycrystalline uranium surfaces was studied between 85 and 298 K with thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Saturation of the uranium surface with oxygen or water vapor produced an asymmetric O1s photoelectron peak that consisted of a main oxide contribution and a small component assigned to strongly chemisorbed oxygen or hydroxyl ions, respectively. Saturation of the clean or oxygen-covered surface with water vapor at 85 K produced multilayer ice that was converted to oxide and adsorbed hydroxyl ions after warming to room temperature. A significant difference in binding energies was observed in the O1s spectra between water vapor adsorption on clean and oxygen-covered surfaces that lends support to the oxygen inhibition of the water vapor-uranium reaction by a surface mechanism. The initial oxidation mechanisms of uranium with oxygen and water vapor are discussed.