EQUATION OF STATE OF OXIDE NUCLEAR FUELS: THE THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF URANIA AND PLUTONIA.

A comparison is made of the application of the ″Corresponding States″ and ″Significant Liquid Structures″ theories to the prediction of the critical constants of UO//2 and its thermodynamic properties up to and beyond the critical region. A description of the two theories is given. It is concluded that the ″Significant Liquid Structures″ theory allows one to make more detailed use of the known properties of UO//2; an example of the inclusion of the complex vaporization behavior of UO//2 into the framework of the theory is presented. The critical constants of PuO//2 have also been estimated.