Characterization of high-level waste saltcake stored at the Savannah River Site

Conference · Sun Aug 21 04:00:00 EDT 1994

OSTI ID:10110952

Hobbs, D. T. ^[1]; Coleman, C. J. ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)

Approximately 34 million gallons of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) are stored at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in 51 underground storage tanks. Facilities have been constructed to permanently dispose of this waste. The radioactive components will be separated from the bulk of the waste into a small volume fraction and vitrified in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). The remaining, much larger volume fraction will be incorporated into a cement waste form in the Saltstone facility. Most of the radioactivity in the HLW is present in a solids fraction referred to as sludge. These solids are produced upon addition of sodium hydroxide to the acidic waste solutions to provide a highly alkaline slurry. The highly alkaline condition is necessary to prevent corrosion of the carbon steel storage tanks. After allowing the sludge solids to settle, the waste solutions are decanted and evaporated to conserve storage space in the tanks. Upon cooling, salts are crystallized from the evaporated wastes. The crystallized salts are referred to as saltcake.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 10110952
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS--94-0203P; CONF-940813--35; ON: DE95005885
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105
42 ENGINEERING
CESIUM
CRITICALITY
Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF)
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
High-Level Nuclear Waste (HLW)
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SAFETY
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SEPARATION PROCEDURES
SLUDGES
STRONTIUM
TANKS
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
URANIUM
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE