Radiolytic gas production from concrete containing Savannah River Plant waste

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5150618· OSTI ID:5150618

Bibler, N. E.

To determine the extent of gas production from radiolysis of concrete containing radioactive Savannah River Plant waste, samples of concrete and simulated waste were irradiated by /sup 60/Co gamma rays and /sup 244/Cm alpha particles. Gamma radiolysis simulated radiolysis by beta particles from fission products in the waste. Alpha radiolysis indicated the effect of alpha particles from transuranic isotopes in the waste. With gamma radiolysis, hydrogen was the only significant product; hydrogen reached a steady-state pressure that increased with increasing radiation intensity. Hydrogen was produced faster, and a higher steady-state pressure resulted when an organic set retarder was present. Oxygen that was sealed with the wastes was depleted. Gamma radiolysis also produced nitrous oxide gas when nitrate or nitrite was present in the concrete. With alpha radiolysis, hydrogen and oxygen were produced. Hydrogen did not reach a steady-state pressure at <140 psi. From these results, estimates of pressure in conceptual containers (cylinders 2 feet ID by 10 feet tall, 90% full) of SRP waste concrete were made. During the first 300 years of storage when radiolysis will mainly be from beta-gamma radiation (from /sup 137/Cs and /sup 90/Sr), hydrogen will reach a steady-state pressure of 8 to 28 psi, and oxygen will be partially consumed. These predictions were confirmed by measurement of gas produced over a short time in a container of concrete and actual SRP waste. The tests with simulated waste also indicated that nitrous oxide may form, but because of the low nitrate or nitrite content of the waste, the maximum pressure of nitrous oxide after 300 years will be <60 psi. After decay of these fission products, alpha radiolysis from /sup 238/Pu and /sup 239/Pu will predominate; the hydrogen and oxygen pressures will increase to >200 psi.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-09-0001
• OSTI ID: 5150618
• Report Number(s): DP-1464; TRN: 78-007310
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
CONCRETES
RADIOLYSIS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
ALPHA PARTICLES
GAMMA RADIATION
GASES
HYDROGEN
NITROUS OXIDE
SELF-IRRADIATION
BUILDING MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DECOMPOSITION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
STORAGE
US AEC
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal &amp; Storage
400600 - Radiation Chemistry