Comparative assessment of TRU waste forms and processes. Volume I. Waste form and process evaluations
This study provides an assesses seven waste forms and eight processes for immobilizing transuranic (TRU) wastes. The waste forms considered are cast cement, cold-pressed cement, FUETAP (formed under elevated temperature and pressure) cement, borosilicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, basalt glass-ceramic, and cold-pressed and sintered silicate ceramic. The waste-immobilization processes considered are in-can glass melting, joule-heated glass melting, glass marble forming, cement casting, cement cold-pressing, FUETAP cement processing, ceramic cold-pressing and sintering, basalt glass-ceramic processing. Properties considered included gas generation, chemical durability, mechanical strength, thermal stability, and radiation stability. The ceramic products demonstrated the best properties, except for plutonium release during leaching. The glass and ceramic products had similar properties. The cement products generally had poorer properties than the other forms, except for plutonium release during leaching. Calculations of the Pu release indicated that the waste forms met the proposed NRC release rate limit of 1 part in 10/sup 5/ per year in most test conditions. The cast-cement process had the lowest processing cost, followed closely by the cold-pressed and FUETAP cement processes. Joule-heated glass melting had the lower cost of the glass processes. In-can melting in a high-quality canister had the highest cost, and cold-pressed and sintered ceramic the second highest. Labor and canister costs for in-can melting were identified. The major contributor to costs of disposing of TRU wastes in a defense waste repository is waste processing costs. Repository costs could become the dominant cost for disposing of TRU wastes in a commercial repository. It is recommended that cast and FUETAP cement and borosilicate glass waste-form systems be considered. 13 figures, 16 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 6749196
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-4428-Vol.1; ON: DE83000925; TRN: 82-024441
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
SOLIDIFICATION
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
BASALT
BOROSILICATE GLASS
CASTING
CEMENTS
CERAMICS
COLD PRESSING
COST
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
GLASS
LEACHING
MELTING
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION EFFECTS
SILICATES
SINTERING
STABILITY
ACTINIDES
BUILDING MATERIALS
DISSOLUTION
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATERIALS WORKING
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PRESSING
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ROCKS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing