Hanford Site waste tank stability assessment: Characterization of headspace vapors by Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance method
The Hanford Site (Figure 1) near Richland, Washington, operated by the US Department of Energy, Richland Field Office, produced nuclear materials for the nation`s defense programs for more than 40 yr. The highly radioactive liquid wastes generated by the chemical processing of the irradiated nuclear fuels are stored temporarily in single- and double-shell steel tanks at the Hanford Site. One of the most important problems arising from the underground storage of waste materials that contain fission products is the high temperature caused by poor dissipation of heat through the surrounding soil. Under abnormal conditions exothermic reactions among the components of the wastes might occur, resulting in runaway organics-nitrate reactions. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that mixtures of nitrate/nitrites with ferrocyanides decompose spontaneously and rapidly at elevated temperatures following these reactions: Ferrocyanide with nitrate Na{sub 2}NiFe(CN){sub 6} + 6NaNO{sub 3} = 6N{sub 2} + 2CO{sub 2} + 4Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} + FeO + NiO Ferrocyanide with nitrite Na{sub 2}NiFe(CN){sub 6} + 1ONaNO{sub 2} = 8N{sub 2} + 6Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} + FeO + NiO. Recently, tank safety issues at the Hanford Site have been raised, including flammable gases, potentially explosive ferrocyanide-nitrate mixtures, and potential runaway organics-nitrate reactions. Gases such as H{sub 2}, N{sub 2}O, N{sub 2}, and water vapor are produced by the breakdown of the radioactive waste by thermolysis, radiolysis, or both. Hydrogen (H{sub 2}) is a safety concern because it can be explosive above certain concentrations. These tank safety concerns have created a need for a reliable system to monitor tank waste reactivity.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-87RL10930
- OSTI ID:
- 10126264
- Report Number(s):
- WHC-SA-1288; CONF-920302-4; ON: DE92008631
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 43. Pittsburgh conference and exposition on analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy,New Orleans, LA (United States),9-13 Mar 1992; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
TANKS
SAFETY
VAPORS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
MONITORING
HANFORD RESERVATION
STORAGE FACILITIES
WASTE FORMS
HEAT TRANSFER
FLOW RATE
SAMPLING
SPECTROSCOPY
INFRARED SPECTROMETERS
RADIATION PROTECTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
FLAMMABILITY
HYDROGEN
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
EQUIPMENT
FERROCYANIDES
NITRITES
052002
400800
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
COMBUSTION, PYROLYSIS, AND HIGH-TEMPERATURE CHEMISTRY