An examination of the estimation method for the specific heat of TRU dioxides:: evaluation with PuO2

This work set out to study the estimation method of the specific heat, C-p, for the dioxides of the transuranic elements. C-p was evaluated as a sum of three terms, contributions of phonon vibration, C-ph, dilation, C-d, and Schottky specific heat, C-s, C-ph and C-d were calculated using the Debye temperature and Gruneisen constant obtained by high-temperature X-ray diffractometry. The method was applied to PuO2. The estimated C-p was in good accordance with the reported one measured using a calorimeter. The error in the estimation was small compared to that which arises from using the conventional method based on C-p(298) and the melting temperature. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.