Thermodynamic review and calculations—alkali-metal oxide systems with nuclear fuels, fission products, and structural materials

This paper considers the phase equilibria of alkali metal oxides and their combinations with other oxides relevant to nuclear fuels, fission products, and structural materials. The other oxides include those of the lanthanides, the actinides, iron, nickel, aluminum, silicon, as well as those of periodic table groups IIA, IVB, VB, VIB, and VIA. The alkali metal halides, chalcogenides, and hydroxides are also included. Techniques are developed to permit calculation of phase equilibria and Ellingham diagrams in ternary and higher-order systems. These techniques include estimation of previously unknown 298.15 K values of the enthalpies of formation and the entropies of many compounds.