An advanced solution for the storage, transportation and disposal of spent fuel and vitrified high level waste
- Starmet Corporation, 860 W. Riverview Dr., Idaho Falls, ID 83401 (United States)
For future nuclear power deployment in the US, certain changes in the back end of the fuel cycle, i.e., disposal of high level waste and spent fuel, must become a real options. However, there exists another problem from the front end of the fuel cycle which has until recently, received less attention. Depleted uranium hexafluoride is a by-product of the enrichment process and has accumulated for over 50 years. It now represents a potential environmental problem. This paper describes a concept for converting the depleted uranium hexafluoride into advanced high level waste and spent fuel storage and transportation casks using DUCRETE concrete. The high density and efficient shielding of DUCRETE concrete enables small diameter, transportable casks to be produced with the low fabrication costs of concrete technology. In making DUCRETE casks, the otherwise unneeded depleted uranium is used in an environmentally responsible manner and one of nuclear power's legacies is resolved.
- Research Organization:
- American Nuclear Society - ANS, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 23142127
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BY-PRODUCTS
CONCRETES
DENSITY
DEPLETED URANIUM
FUEL CYCLE
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
NUCLEAR POWER
SPENT FUEL CASKS
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
VITRIFICATION