JAERI/Ansto co-operative research on radiation damage and actinide behaviour in Synroc

Journal Article · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:182124

Muraoka, S; Mitamura, H; Matsumoto, S ^[1]

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1. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai-mura (Japan); and others

Ansto and JAERI have collaborated formally since 1985 in the study of actinide behaviour in and self-irradiation studies of Synroc, a titanate ceramic designed for immobilising high-level waste from nuclear fuel reprocessing. JAERI has fabricated Synroc samples containing {approximately}1wt% of the short-lived actinide {sup 244}Cm(t{sub {1/2}} 18 yr), to produce in 2 years, alpha-damage which would take {approximately} 10{sup 5} yr to accrue in actual Synroc. The effects of the damage on the structure and aqueous leachabilities of various constituent elements will be discussed. Parallel experiments at Ansto have dealt with the aqueous dissolution of Synroc: containing sufficiently low levels of actinides to avoid significant radiation damage effects, the effects of fast-neutron irradiation and studies of radiation damage in natural analogues of Synroc phases, especially zirconolite. Difficulties associated with the presence of sodium in Japanese waste have been eliminated by a minor reformulation of Synroc. Recent work has focussed on developing a zirconolite-rich version of Synroc to immobilise actinide-rich wastes resulting from advanced reprocessing/partitioning schemes and progress will be reviewed.

• OSTI ID: 182124
• Report Number(s): CONF-940501--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Journal Issue: Suppl.1 Vol. 70; ISSN TANSAO; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LEACHING
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
SYNROC PROCESS
SYNTHETIC ROCKS
TITANATES
WASTE FORMS