DEPENDENCE OF THE VAPORIZATION BEHAVIOR OF ACTINIDE OXIDES ON THE ELECTRONIC NATURE OF THE ACTINIDE ATOMS

The electronic configurations of the actinide elements protide insight s into the properties and chemistries of these elements and their comp ounds. It is the stability of these electronic structures which determ ines oxidation states and oxide stoichiometries, but these states are also important in less obvious aspects, such as the vaporization of ox ides. Recent systematic evaluations of the vaporization/decomposition behavior of actinide oxides as a function of atomic number have provid ed important clues for understanding the underlying role of the actini de's f electrons in the vaporization of their oxides. The major factor in determining the primary mode of vaporization of the actinide oxide s is the magnitude of the element's monoxide dissociation energy, whic h is linked to the promotion energy for the actinide's f electrons. Th is relationship provides both correlative and predictive methodologies for these actinide oxides. Some recent information on actinide oxide properties, the vaporization behavior of selected actinide oxides, and the systematic correlation of vaporization behavior with the electron ic nature of the actinide are summarized here.