Radiolytic gas generation rates from Hanford RHO-CAW sludge and double-shell slurry immobilized in grout

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5618316· OSTI ID:5618316

Friedman, H. A.; Dole, L. R.; Gilliam, T. M.; Rogers, G. C.

Cement-based grouts will be used to immobilize low-level waste solutions at the Rockwell Hanford Operations (RHO) in Richland, Washington. The radioactivity in these aqueous encapsulated waste solutions can cause decomposition of the pore water in these grouts. Concern has been expressed over the potential for pressurizing the waste packages used to contain this material and the flammability and explosion hazards from hydrogen gas from this decomposition. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) undertook the task of establishing the radiolytic gas production rates for the two types of RHO waste streams - current acid waste (CAW) and double-shell slurry (DSS) - and determining the composition of the generated gases, the effects of surface-to-volume ratio of the samples, waste slurry particle sizes, and the water content of the waste form. The alpha exposure of the grouts containing RHO-CAW sludge (with NO/sub 3//sup -/) produced H/sub 2/ and O/sub 2/ at almost a 2:1 ratio, with a trace of N/sub 2/O. The alpha irradiation of the grouts containing the DSS solution (with both NO/sub 3//sup -/ and NO/sub 2//sup -/) produced mainly N/sub 2/O, H/sub 2/, and a trace of CH/sub 4/. In this case, O/sub 2/ and N/sub 2/ were either produced or consumed, depending upon when the sample was collected. During the gamma radiolysis of the grouts containing the DSS solution, N/sub 2/O, H/sub 2/O, N/sub 2/, and a trace of CH/sub 4/ were produced. In this case, O/sub 2/ from the air in the system was consumed. The average G/sub t/ value for the grout containing the RHO-CAW sludge exposed to alpha irradiation was 0.42 molec/100 eV, which is close to that for the gamma exposure of pure water (0.45 molec/100 eV). A G/sub t/ value of 0.12 molec/100 eV was obtained for the grout containing the DSS solution from the alpha exposure. As expected, a smaller G/sub t/ value of 0.018 molec/100 eV was obtained for the gamma exposure of the grout with DSS solutions.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5618316
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-9412; ON: DE85013519
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
HYDROGEN
G VALUE
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SOLIDIFICATION
METHANE
NITROGEN
NITROUS OXIDE
OXYGEN
SLUDGES
RADIOLYSIS
SLURRIES
ALPHA SOURCES
CEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GAMMA RADIATION
WATER
ALKANES
BUILDING MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
ION SOURCES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SOURCES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SUSPENSIONS
WASTES
360605* - Materials- Radiation Effects
052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage