Initial laboratory studies into the chemical and radiological aging of organic materials in underground storage tanks at the Hanford Complex

Conference · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:10132288

Samuels, W D; Camaioni, D M ^[1]; Babad, H ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
2. Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)

The underground storage tanks at the Hanford Complex contain wastes generated over many years from plutonium production and recovery processes, and mixed wastes from radiological degradation processes. The chemical changes of the organic materials used in the extraction processes have a direct bearing on several specific safety issues, including potential energy releases from these tanks. The major portion of organic materials that have been added to the tanks consists of tributyl phosphate, dibutyl phosphate, butyl alcohol, hexone (methyl isobutyl ketone), normal paraffin hydrocarbons (NPH), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriadetic acid (HEDTA), other complexants, and lesser quantities of ion exchange polymers and minor organic compounds. A study of how thermal and radiological processes that may have changed the composition of organic tanks constituents has been initiated after a review of the open literature revealed little information was available about the rates and products of these processes under basic pH conditions. This paper will detail the initial findings as they relate to gas generation, e.g. H{sub 2}, CO, NH{sub 3}, CH{sub 4}, and to changes in the composition of the organic and inorganic components brought about by ``Aging`` processes.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 10132288
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA--23331; CONF-940225--61; ON: DE94008055
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002
054000
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201
AGING
ALKANES
BUTANOLS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIONS
DBP
EDTA
GASES
HANFORD RESERVATION
HEALTH AND SAFETY
HEDTA
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
METHYL ISOBUTYL KETONE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAFETY
TANKS
TBP
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE