Summary of results from the Series 2 and Series 3 NNWSI [Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations] bare fuel dissolution tests

Conference · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:60367

Wilson, C N

The Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project is studying dissolution and radionuclide release behavior of spent nuclear fuel in Nevada Test Site groundwater. Specimens were tested for multiple cycles in J-13 well water. The Series 2 tests were run in unsealed silica vessels under ambient hot cell air (25{sup 0}C) for five cycles for a total of 34 months. The Series 3 tests were run in sealed stainless steel vessels at 25{sup 0}C and 85{sup 0}C for three cycles for a total of 15 months. Selected summary results from Series 2 and Series 3 tests with bare fuel specimens are reported. Uranium concentrations in later test cycles ranged from 1 to 2 {mu}g/ml in the Series 2 Tests versus about 0.1 to 0.4 {mu}g/ml in Series 3 with the lowest concentrations occurring in the 85{sup 0}C tests. Preferential release of fission products Cs, I, Sr and Tc, and activation product C-14, was indicated relative to the actinides. Tc-99 and Cs-137 activities measured in solution after Cycle 1 increased linearly with time, with the rate of increase greater at 85{sup 0}C than at 25{sup 0}C. 8 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 60367
• Report Number(s): UCRL-21013; CONF-8711100-2; PNL-SA-15207; HEDL-SA-3731A; ON: DE88006030
• Resource Relation: Conference: Symposium on the scientific basis for nuclear waste management, Boston, MA (United States), 30 Nov - 5 Dec 1987; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1987
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
SPENT FUELS
DISSOLUTION
GROUND WATER
TUFF
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
IODINE 121
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM 239
AMERICIUM 241
TECHNETIUM 99
PLUTONIUM 240
CESIUM 137
CESIUM 134
STRONTIUM 90
IODINE 129
Yucca Mountain Project