Alternative Waste Forms for Electro-Chemical Salt Waste

Technical Report · Wed Oct 28 00:00:00 EDT 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1048018· OSTI ID:1048018

Crum, Jarrod V. ^[1]; Riley, Brian J. ^[1]; Sundaram, S. K. ^[1]; Arreguin, Shelly A. ^[1]; Matyas, Josef ^[1]; Schweiger, M. J. ^[1]; Rieck, B. T. ^[1]; Vienna, John D. ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

This study was undertaken to examine alternate crystalline (ceramic/mineral) and glass waste forms for immobilizing spent salt from the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) electrochemical separations process. The AFCI is a program sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and demonstrate a process for recycling spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The electrochemical process is a molten salt process for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in an electrorefiner and generates spent salt that is contaminated with alkali, alkaline earths, and lanthanide fission products (FP) that must either be cleaned of fission products or eventually replaced with new salt to maintain separations efficiency. Currently, these spent salts are mixed with zeolite to form sodalite in a glass-bonded waste form. The focus of this study was to investigate alternate waste forms to immobilize spent salt. On a mole basis, the spent salt is dominated by alkali and Cl with minor amounts of alkaline earth and lanthanides. In the study reported here, we made an effort to explore glass systems that are more compatible with Cl and have not been previously considered for use as waste forms. In addition, alternate methods were explored with the hope of finding a way to produce a sodalite that is more accepting of as many FP present in the spent salt as possible. This study was done to investigate two different options: (1) alternate glass families that incorporate increased concentrations of Cl; and (2) alternate methods to produce a mineral waste form.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1048018
• Report Number(s): PNNL--18930; AFCI-WAST-PMO-MI-DV-2009-000293; AF5805000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
EFFICIENCY
Electro-chemical salt
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CYCLE
GLASS
Glass waste form
MINERAL WASTES
MOLTEN SALTS
NUCLEAR FUELS
RARE EARTHS
RECYCLING
REPROCESSING
WASTE FORMS
WASTES
ZEOLITES
ceramic waste form