XPS Investigation on Changes in UO2 Speciation following Exposure to Humidity

High purity UO 2 powder samples were subjected to accelerated aging under controlled conditions with relative humidity ranging from 34% to 98%. Characterization of the chemical speciation of the products was accomplished using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A shift to higher uranium oxidation states was found to be directly correlated to increased relative humidity exposure. Additionally, the relative abundance of O 2- , OH - , and H 2 O was found to vary with exposure time. Thus, it is expected that uranium oxide materials exposed to high relative humidity conditions during processing and storage would display a similar increase in average uranium valence.