Resolution of the ferrocyanide safety issue for the Hanford site high-level
This paper describes the approach used to resolve the ferrocyanide safety issue, a process that began in 1990 after heightened concern was expressed by various government agencies about the safety of Hanford site high-level waste tanks. At the time, little was known about ferrocyanide-nitrate/nitrite reactions and the potential for offsite releases of radioactivity from the Hanford Site. Recent studies have shown that the combined effects of temperature, radiation, and pH during more than 38 years of storage have destroyed most of the ferrocyanide originally added to tanks. This has been proven in the laboratory using flowsheet-derived waste simulants and confirmed by waste samples obtained from the ferrocyanide tanks. The resulting tank waste sludges are too dilute to support a sustained exothermic reaction, even if dried out and heated to temperatures of at least 250 C. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has been requested to close the ferrocyanide safety issue.
- Research Organization:
- Fluor Daniel Hanford Inc., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-96RL13200
- OSTI ID:
- 10154249
- Report Number(s):
- WHC-SA--3056-FP; CONF-960804--; ON: DE99050547; BR: EW3120072
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Resolution of the Hanford site ferrocyanide safety issue
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Related Subjects
054000
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
FERROCYANIDES
HANFORD RESERVATION
HEALTH AND SAFETY
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
NITRATES
NITRITES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
SAFETY ENGINEERING
STORAGE FACILITIES
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE