Thermodynamics of Fluorite-Structured Oxides Relevant to Nuclear Energy: A Review
Anna Shelyug, Alexandra Navrotsky
Abstract
Fluorite structured materials have shown their applicability in various fields both on and off Earth. In particular, these oxides find extensive application in nuclear energy and the use of actinides in space and planetary settings, thermal and environmental barrier coatings, aerospace applications, catalysts, fuel cells, and batteries. Research done on thermodynamic data collection should be structured to facilitate its use in predictive calculations. In this review, we bring together several decades of experimental thermodynamic analysis of fluorite-based oxides with an emphasis on their relevance to all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. This review is relatively short in the interest of offering an accessible perspective, especially for scientists early in their careers in nuclear science.