Effects of radiation exposure on glass alteration in a steam environment

Conference · Thu Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:138788

Wronkiewicz, D J; Bates, J K; Tani, B S ^[1]; Wang, L M ^[2]

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1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
2. New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Geology

Several Savannah River Plant (SRL) glass compositions were reacted in steam at temperatures of 150 to 200{degrees}C. Half of the tests utilized actinide-doped monoliths and were exposed to an external ionizing gamma source, while the remainder were doped only with U and reacted without gamma exposure. All glass samples readily reacted to form secondary mineral phases within the first week of testing. An in situ layer of smectite initially developed on nonirradiated SRL 202 glass test samples. After 21 days, a thin layer of illite was precipitated from solution onto the smectite layer. A number of alteration products including zeolite, Casilicate, and alkali or alkaline earth uranyl silicate phases were also distributed over most sample surfaces. In the irradiated SRL 202 glass tests, up to three layers enveloped rounded, and sometimes fractured, glass cores. After 35 to 56 days these remnant cores were replaced by a mottled or banded Fe- and Si-rich material. The formation of some secondary mineral phases also has been accelerated in the irradiated tests, and in some instances, the irradiated environment may have led to the precipitation of a different suite of minerals. The alteration layer(s) developed at rates of 2.3 and 32 {mu}m/day for the nonirradiated and irradiated SRL 202 glasses, respectively, indicating that layer development is accelerated by a factor of {approximately} 10 to 15X due to radiation exposure under the test conditions.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 138788
• Report Number(s): ANL/CMT/CP--76240; CONF-921101--76; ON: DE93006419
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CALCIUM SILICATES
GAMMA DECAY
GLASS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ILLITE
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
PH VALUE
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOLYSIS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SMECTITE
STEAM
URANYL SILICATES
WASTE FORMS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Yucca Mountain Project
ZEOLITES