On the oxidation of uraninite from natural reactor cores

Conference · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:20015835

Cui, D; Eriksen, T; Eklund, U B

Natural nuclear reactors provide unique evidence in helping to understand the processes that might occur over long timescales in radioactive waste disposal sites. In the presented work, the extent and kinetics of oxidation of core material from the Oklo-Bangombe natural reactors are investigated. The X-ray powder diffraction analysis shows that the uraninites core samples from the Bangombe Reactor and Oklo Reactor 2, and Oklo Reactor 13 have the same unit-cell parameters as synthetic UO{sub 2.25}. A significant amount of fourmarierite, Pb(UO{sub 2}){sub 4}O{sub 3}(OH){sub 4}.4H{sub 2}O, was identified in the core samples from two shallow reactors Bangombe and Oklo 2, but not in the deeper reactor Oklo 13. The results of U(IV)/U(IV) measurements indicate that the extent of oxidative weathering of shallow reactors (Bangombe and Oklo 2) is greater than for the deeper reactor Oklo 13. Evaporable organic compounds found in the uraninite inclusion containing bitumen at the edge of Okelobondo Reactor (400 C) and in the black shale immediately above the Bangombe Reactor (260 C) may work as a reducing buffer or/and a hydrophobic water shield to depress the oxidative dissolution of the uraninite cores.

• Research Organization: Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (SE)
• Sponsoring Organization: Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company
• OSTI ID: 20015835
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
GEOCHEMISTRY
NATURAL ANALOGUE
NATURAL NUCLEAR REACTORS
OXIDATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
URANINITES