Hydrogen and oxygen gases radiolytically generated in a nitrate system by α-radiation were investigated. The following points were elucidated :
(1) Plutonium (IV) is involved in the G-value for hydrogen generation. The difference in G-values in
244Cm-HNO
3 solution and Pu(IV)-HNO
3 solution can be explained by the presence of Pu.
(2) No significant effect of the difference of oxidation states, Pu(IV)/Pu(VI), resulting from heating solution on the hydrogen generation was observed.
(3) Radiolytic evolution of hydrogen in plutonium nitrate solutions depends upon a height of the solution in a vessel, although this dependence is apparently less than that observed under γ-radiation.
(4) The effect of the solution height would be explained by a reaction between OH and H
2 because the effect can be approximately described by concentrations of undissociated HNO
3 and Pu(IV), which are thought to be primary scavengers of OH radicals.
(5) The G-value for oxygen generation in plutonium nitrate solutions was roughly in accord with that observed in the
244Cm/
210Po-HNO
3 system.
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