Changes In The Radioactivity, Topography, And Surface Composition Of Uranium After Hydrogen Loading By Aqueous Electrolysis

Hydrogen loading of 99.98% pure natural uranium foils (0.18 mm thick) was performed by aqueous electrolysis in order to compare with glow discharge results. Alpha, beta, and gamma specific radioactivity were measured after hydrogen loading and compared with the control. Some of the samples revealed an increase of the specific radioactivity of up to 20%. Gamma ray spectroscopy was also performed on the samples. Results reveal an increase of the specific counts for the peaks of Th234 and U235 and a decrease in the U Kα1 characteristic x-ray peak. The surface topography changed from granular before electrolysis to pitted afterward. The thorium concentration increased slightly after electrolysis compared with the original material. In summary, this work in progress reveals that loading hydrogen into uranium increases the uranium decay rate, in agreement with the glow discharge results.