Investigation of metallic, ceramic, and polymeric materials for engineered barrier applications in nuclear-waste packages
An effort to develop licensable engineered barrier systems for the long-term (about 1000 yr) containment of nuclear wastes under conditions of deep continental geologic disposal has been underway at Pacific Northwest Laboratory since January 1979, under the auspices of the High-Level Waste Immobilization Program. In the present work, the barrier system comprises the hard or structural elements of the package: the canister, the overpack(s), and the hole sleeve. A number of candidate metallic, ceramic, and polymeric materials were put through mechanical, corrosion, and leaching screening tests to determine their potential usefulness in barrier-system applications. Materials demonstrating adequate properties in the screening tests will be subjected to more detailed property tests, and, eventually, cost/benefit analyses, to determine their ultimate applicability to barrier-system design concepts. The following materials were investigated: two titanium alloys of Grade 2 and Grade 12; 300 and 400 series stainless steels, Inconels, Hastelloy C-276, titanium, Zircoloy, copper-nickel alloys and cast irons; total of 14 ceramic materials, including two grades of alumina, plus graphite and basalt; and polymers such as polyamide-imide, polyarylene, polyimide, polyolefin, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, fluoropolymer, epoxy, furan, silicone, and ethylene-propylene terpolymer (EPDM) rubber. The most promising candidates for further study and potential use in engineered barrier systems were found to be rubber, filled polyphenylene sulfide, fluoropolymer, and furan derivatives.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 6992881
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-3484; TRN: 80-018557
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
BASALT
CASKS
CORROSION
COST
EPOXIDES
FURANS
GRAPHITE
HASTELLOY C
INCONEL ALLOYS
LEACHING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
POLYAMIDES
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
RUBBERS
SILICONES
STAINLESS STEELS
STRESSES
TITANIUM ALLOYS
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CONTAINERS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
DISSOLUTION
ELASTOMERS
ELEMENTS
HASTELLOYS
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MANAGEMENT
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NICKEL BASE ALLOYS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ROCKS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SILOXANES
STEELS
TUNGSTEN ALLOYS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
054000 - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
360100 - Metals & Alloys
360200 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories
360400 - Polymers & Plastics- (-1987)