skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Assessment of Physical Properties of Transuranic Waste in Hanford Single-Shell Tanks

Abstract

CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. (CH2M HILL) is in the process of identifying and developing supplemental process technologies to accelerate the tank waste cleanup mission. One technology targets disposal of Hanford transuranic (TRU) process wastes stored in single-shell tanks (SSTs). Ten Hanford SSTs are candidates for designation as contact-handled TRU waste type: the B-200 series tanks (241-B-201, -B-202, -B-203, and -B-204), the T-200 series tanks (241-T-201, -T-202, -T-203, and -T-204), and Tanks 241-T-110 and T-111. Current plans identify a process in which these wastes are retrieved from the tanks, either dry or with a recycled liquid stream to help mobilize the waste in the tank and through transfer lines and vessels, dewatered to remove excess liquid, and transferred to waste packages in a form suitable for disposal. CH2M HILL seeks to procure a process for dewatering, handling, and packaging the contact-handled TRU waste after it is retrieved. An understanding of waste physical properties is needed to support design of the SST TRU handling and packaging system and to produce suitable physical simulants to test such a process. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been tasked with developing these waste simulants. This report summarizes PNNL's assessment of available waste physical propertymore » information for the 10 candidate TRU SSTs. Data sources include the Hanford Tank Waste Information Network System (TWINS) database, technical reports, and visual observations from the review of photographs and videotape recordings taken during the extrusion of various SST TRU waste core samples. While the retrieval process is expected to alter certain waste physical properties such as shear strength, the effects of this process on waste properties cannot yet be quantified. Therefore, the scope of this report is to describe the properties of SST TRU wastes as they are known for unprocessed wastes or, in some cases, for diluted waste samples. The report focuses on the waste rheology, settling characteristics, particle properties, bulk density, and water content. Because some physical properties of the waste are related to the waste chemistry (e.g., particle hardness), a brief overview of the process and chemistry resulting in the TRU waste is provided. Other properties, including the potential for gas retention in the waste, are discussed briefly. Qualitative descriptions of how waste properties might be affected by retrieval and subsequent processing are also noted.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
15010113
Report Number(s):
PNNL-14221
820201000; TRN: US200718%%322
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ALPHA-BEARING WASTES; BULK DENSITY; CHEMISTRY; EXTRUSION; HARDNESS; IMAGES; PACKAGING; PARTICLE PROPERTIES; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; RETENTION; RHEOLOGY; SHEAR PROPERTIES; TANKS; TARGETS; WASTES; WATER REMOVAL; transuranic waste; TRU; physical properties; Hanford single-shell tanks; rheology

Citation Formats

Rassat, Scot D, Mahoney, Lenna A, Wells, Beric E, Mendoza, Donaldo P, and Caldwell, Dustin D. Assessment of Physical Properties of Transuranic Waste in Hanford Single-Shell Tanks. United States: N. p., 2003. Web. doi:10.2172/15010113.
Rassat, Scot D, Mahoney, Lenna A, Wells, Beric E, Mendoza, Donaldo P, & Caldwell, Dustin D. Assessment of Physical Properties of Transuranic Waste in Hanford Single-Shell Tanks. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/15010113
Rassat, Scot D, Mahoney, Lenna A, Wells, Beric E, Mendoza, Donaldo P, and Caldwell, Dustin D. 2003. "Assessment of Physical Properties of Transuranic Waste in Hanford Single-Shell Tanks". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/15010113. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/15010113.
@article{osti_15010113,
title = {Assessment of Physical Properties of Transuranic Waste in Hanford Single-Shell Tanks},
author = {Rassat, Scot D and Mahoney, Lenna A and Wells, Beric E and Mendoza, Donaldo P and Caldwell, Dustin D},
abstractNote = {CH2M HILL Hanford Group, Inc. (CH2M HILL) is in the process of identifying and developing supplemental process technologies to accelerate the tank waste cleanup mission. One technology targets disposal of Hanford transuranic (TRU) process wastes stored in single-shell tanks (SSTs). Ten Hanford SSTs are candidates for designation as contact-handled TRU waste type: the B-200 series tanks (241-B-201, -B-202, -B-203, and -B-204), the T-200 series tanks (241-T-201, -T-202, -T-203, and -T-204), and Tanks 241-T-110 and T-111. Current plans identify a process in which these wastes are retrieved from the tanks, either dry or with a recycled liquid stream to help mobilize the waste in the tank and through transfer lines and vessels, dewatered to remove excess liquid, and transferred to waste packages in a form suitable for disposal. CH2M HILL seeks to procure a process for dewatering, handling, and packaging the contact-handled TRU waste after it is retrieved. An understanding of waste physical properties is needed to support design of the SST TRU handling and packaging system and to produce suitable physical simulants to test such a process. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been tasked with developing these waste simulants. This report summarizes PNNL's assessment of available waste physical property information for the 10 candidate TRU SSTs. Data sources include the Hanford Tank Waste Information Network System (TWINS) database, technical reports, and visual observations from the review of photographs and videotape recordings taken during the extrusion of various SST TRU waste core samples. While the retrieval process is expected to alter certain waste physical properties such as shear strength, the effects of this process on waste properties cannot yet be quantified. Therefore, the scope of this report is to describe the properties of SST TRU wastes as they are known for unprocessed wastes or, in some cases, for diluted waste samples. The report focuses on the waste rheology, settling characteristics, particle properties, bulk density, and water content. Because some physical properties of the waste are related to the waste chemistry (e.g., particle hardness), a brief overview of the process and chemistry resulting in the TRU waste is provided. Other properties, including the potential for gas retention in the waste, are discussed briefly. Qualitative descriptions of how waste properties might be affected by retrieval and subsequent processing are also noted.},
doi = {10.2172/15010113},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15010113}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Mar 05 00:00:00 EST 2003},
month = {Wed Mar 05 00:00:00 EST 2003}
}