A radiochemical analyses of metastudtite and leachates from spent fuel

Conference · Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 2004

OSTI ID:15011286

McNamara, Bruce K; Hanson, Brady D; Buck, Edgar C; Soderquist, Chuck Z

Immersion of commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) in deionized water produced two novel corrosion products after a two-year contact period. Another unexpected result was that suspensions of aggregates were observed to form at the air-water interface for each of five samples. These solids were characterized, by SEM and XRD to be nearly pure metastudtite (UO4-2H2O); while the corrosion present on the surface of the fuel itself was determined to be studtite (UO4-2H2O). The occurrence of the floating phase prompted a radiochemical analysis of these solids. This chemical analysis was a unique opportunity to study the relatively pure corrosion phase for incorporation of radionuclides. The analysis indicated that high concentration of 90Sr, 137Cs, 99Tc, and that lower concentrations 237Np, 238, 239Pu and 243, 244Cm had partitioned with the air-water interface aggregates. The concentrations of 241Am were two orders of magnitude lower than the expected inventory in the suspended solids. The radiochemical analyses of the several leachate samples provide preliminary solubility data for the hydrogen peroxide leaching of CSNF and these data are compared to leaching of the same fuel in J-13 and deionized waters. The extent of fuel dissolution in these media are discussed.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 15011286
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-44133; 830403000
• 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
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CORROSION
CORROSION PRODUCTS
DISSOLUTION
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
LEACHATES
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR FUELS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
SOLUBILITY
SPENT FUELS
WATER
X-RAY DIFFRACTION