Leaching of actinide-doped nuclear waste glass in a tuff-dominated system
A laboratory leaching test has been performed as part of a project to evaluate the suitability of tuff rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as a site for a high-level nuclear waste repository. Glass samples were placed in water inside tuff vessels, and then the tuff vessels were placed in water inside Teflon containers. Glass-component leach rates and migration through the tuff were measured for samples of the ATM-8 actinide glass, which is a PNL 76-68 based glass doped with low levels of {sup 99}Tc, {sup 237}Np, {sup 238}U, and {sup 239}Pu to simulate wastes. Disc samples of this glass were leached at 90{sup 0}C for 30, 90, and 183 days inside tuff vessels using a natural groundwater (J-13 well-water) as the leachant. Some samples were held by 304L stainless steel supports to evaluate the effect of this metal on the release rate of glass constituents. At the end of each leaching interval, the J-13 water present inside and outside the rock vessel was analyzed for glass components in solution. On the basis of these analyses, boron, molybdenum, and technetium appear to migrate through the rock at rates that depend on the porosity of each vessel and the time of reaction. The actinide elements (uranium, neptunium, and plutonium) were found only in the inner leachate. 8 references, 6 figures, 6 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 60122
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-861207-Pt.1; ON: TI87009337
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Materials Research Society (MRS) fall meeting, Boston, MA (United States), 1-5 Dec 1986; Other Information: PBD: 1987; Related Information: Is Part Of Scientific basis for Nuclear Waste Management X; Bates, J.K.; Seefeldt, W.B. (eds.); PB: 447-458 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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