Perovskite/Pyrochlore Composite Mineral-like Ceramic Fabrication for 90 Sr/ 90 Y Immobilization Using SPS-RS Technique.

A novel solid-phase synthetic approach was developed to produce a mineral-like composite ceramic based on strontium titanate (SrTiO₃) and yttrium titanate (Y₂Ti₂O₇) matrices for immobilizing radionuclides such as ⁹⁰Sr and its daughter product ⁹⁰Y, as well as lanthanides and actinides, via reactive spark plasma sintering technology (SPS-RS). Using XRD, SEM, and EDS analyses, the sintering kinetics of the initial mixed oxide reactants of composition Y_xSr_1–1.5xTiO₃ (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 1) and structure-phase changes in the ceramics under SPS-RS conditions were investigated as a function of Y³⁺ content. In addition, a detailed study of phase transformation kinetics over time as a function of the heating temperature of the initial components (SrCO₃, TiO₂, and Y₂O₃) was conducted via in situ synchrotron XRD heating experiments. The composite ceramic achieved relatively high physicomechanical properties, including relative density between 4.92–4.64 g/cm³, Vickers microhardness of 500–800 HV, and compressive strength ranging from 95.5–272.4 MPa. An evaluation of hydrolytic stability and leaching rates of Sr²⁺ and Y³⁺ from the matrices was performed, demonstrating rates did not exceed 10⁻⁵–10⁻⁶ g·cm⁻²·day⁻¹ in compliance with GOST R 50926-96 and ANSI/ANS 16.1 standards. The leaching mechanism of these components was studied, including the calculation of solution penetration depth in the ceramic bulk and ion diffusion coefficients in the solution. These findings show great promise for radioactive waste conditioning technologies and the manufacturing of radioisotope products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]