title: Aerodynamic levitator for in situ x-ray structure measurements on high temperature and molten nuclear fuel materials.
abstract: An aerodynamic levitator with carbon dioxide laser beam heating was integrated with a hermetically sealed controlled atmosphere chamber and sample handling mechanism. The system enabled containment of radioactive samples and control of the process atmosphere chemistry. The chamber was typically operated at a pressure of approximately 0.9 bars to ensure containment of the materials being processed. Samples 2.5-3 mm in diameter were levitated in flowing gas to achieve containerless conditions. Levitated samples were heated to temperatures of up to 3500 °C with a partially focused carbon dioxide laser beam. Sample temperature was measured using an optical pyrometer. The sample environment was integrated with a high energy (100 keV) x-ray synchrotron beamline to enable in situ structure measurements to be made on levitated samples as they were heated, melted, and supercooled. The system was controlled from outside the x-ray beamline hutch by using a LabVIEW program. Measurements have been made on hot solid and molten uranium dioxide and binary uranium dioxide-zirconium dioxide compositions.
authors.affiliation: Materials Development, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004, USA.
authors.forename: J K R
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Materials Development, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamalonis
authors.affiliation: Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Benmore
authors.affiliation: Materials Development, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004, USA.
authors.forename: O L G
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Alderman
authors.affiliation: Materials Development, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sendelbach
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hebden
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Williamson