Thermal Analysis of Simulated Nitrate Salt and sWheat Scoop® Mixtures
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
The Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) is examining options for managing its transuranic (TRU) waste currently in interim storage at the Waste Control Specialists LLC (WCS) facility located near Andrews, Texas. As part of this examination, a Draft Engineering Evaluation and Initial Feasibility Study, collectively referred to as the Feasibility Study, is being implemented to investigate the feasibility of different options and methodologies for preparing the waste for transport and disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). To support the needs identified in the Feasibility Study, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has been requested to pursue the characterization and assess the classification of inappropriately treated Remediated Nitrate Salt (RNS) wastes generated at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Previous results from experimentation conducted at SRNL showed that both reaction time and water content had an observable effect on the exothermicity of a remediated waste surrogate under conditions mimicking the SW-846 Method 1050 test for spontaneous combustion. To further elucidate parameters that may contribute to the propensity for spontaneous combustion, SRNL designed and performed additional benchscale testing on simulated wastes targeting the compositions of six remediated drums of similar material previously sampled and characterized at LANL. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis displayed a general decrease in reactivity with increasing age and triethanolamine addition. Review of heat generation data versus analyzed compositions indicate that regardless of salt composition, water content, or age, no substantial combustion was witnessed for any mixture tested that contained at least 50 wt% of organic material.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-08SR22470
- OSTI ID:
- 1568779
- Report Number(s):
- SRNL-STI-2019-00399; TRN: US2100464
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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