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Evaluation of the current state of knowledge for thermolysis of organics within SRS waste forming Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1501353· OSTI ID:1501353
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3]
  1. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL). Advanced Characterization and Processing.
  2. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL). Chemical Processing Technologies.
  3. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL). Process Technology Programs.
The 2017 report Flammable Gas Generation Mechanisms for High Level Liquid Waste Facilities, X-ESRG- 00062 Rev. 1, assessing mechanisms for flammable gas generation acknowledged the presence of flammable organics, concluding that available data indicated their concentrations pose a minor contribution (e.g., <5%) to the composite lower flammable limit. Savannah River Remediation (SRR) chartered the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to perform a more detailed assessment of available and emerging data to assess the current state of knowledge for formation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from thermolysis of organics in Savannah River Site (SRS) caustic tank waste. Based on the assessment as detailed herein, SRNL concludes that sufficient evidence exists to demonstrate formation of methane, in addition to hydrogen, does occur during thermolysis of SRS high level waste containing organics under select conditions. This assessment cannot reliably quantify the amount of methane that forms. Nevertheless, the potential rates are sufficient – methane generation rates of approximately 30% and 100% those of hydrogen generation rates for Tank 38 radioactive waste and a high boiling point (HBP) simulant waste, respectively – to advise that ongoing program efforts be enhanced to include additional analysis for off-gas generation for concentration and screening measurements for other possible flammable species.
Research Organization:
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-08SR22470
OSTI ID:
1501353
Report Number(s):
SRNL-STI--2018-00163
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English