Thermal decomposition of the uranyl phosphate mineral phase meta-ankoleite (KUO2PO4·3H2O) has been considered in relation to high temperature thermal sintering for the immobilisation of a uranyl phosphate containing waste. Meta-ankoleite thermal decomposition was studied across the temperature range 25 – 1200℃ under an inert N2 atmosphere at 1 atm. It is shown that the meta-ankoleite mineral phase undergoes a double de-hydration event at 56.90 and 125.85℃. Subsequently, synthetically produced pure meta-ankoleite remains stable until at least 1150℃ exhibiting no apparent phase changes. In contrast, when present in a mixed waste the meta-ankoleite phase is not identifiable after thermal treatment indicating incorporation within the bulk waste either as an amorphous phase and/or as uranium oxide. Visual inspection of the waste post thermal treatment showed evidence of self-sintering owing to the presence of glass former materials, namely, silica (SiO2) and antimony(V) oxide (Sb2O5). Therefore, incorporation of the uranium phase into the waste as part of waste sentencing and immobilisation via high temperature sintering for the purpose of long-term disposal is deemed feasible.

1. Introduction
2. Experimental
3. Results & Discussion
    3.1 Uranyl phosphate formation
    3.2 Thermal treatment
    3.3 Post thermal treatment analysis
4. Conclusions
REFERENCES

• Richard Ian Foster(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) Corresponding Author
• Hyun-Hee Sung(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)
• Kwang-Wook Kim(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)
• Keunyoung Lee(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)