University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Student Research Projects, Dissertations, and Theses - Chemistry Department Chemistry, Department of 12-2010 Characteristics and Stability of Oxide Films on Plutonium Surfaces Harry Guillermo García Flores University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/chemistrydiss Part of the Physical Chemistry Commons García Flores, Harry Guillermo, "Characteristics and Stability of Oxide Films on Plutonium Surfaces" (2010). Student Research Projects, Dissertations, and Theses - Chemistry Department. 17. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/chemistrydiss/17 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Chemistry, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Research Projects, Dissertations, and Theses - Chemistry Department by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. CHARACTERISTICS AND STABILITY OF OXIDE FILMS ON PLUTONIUM SURFACES by Harry G. García Flores A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Major: Chemistry Under the Supervision of Professor Marjorie A. Langell Lincoln, Nebraska December, 2010 CHARACTERISTICS AND STABILITY OF OXIDE FILMS ON PLUTONIUM SURFACES Harry Guillermo García Flores, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2010 Adviser: Marjorie A. Langell The oxidation of plutonium (Pu) metal continues to be an area of considerable activity. The reaction characteristics have significant implications for production use, storage, and disposition of this radiological material. Developing an accurate physical model of the structures, oxidation states, and oxygen concentration gradients present during oxidation are essential to understanding this process.