Hydrothermal reaction of simulated waste forms with barrier materials under conditions expected in a nuclear waste repository in basalt

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5201562

Myers, J; Apted, M J; Mazer, J J

Simulated spent fuel, simulated defense high-level waste, and simulated and {sup 99}Tc-doped commercial high-level waste (PNL 76-68) were reacted with groundwater, both in the presence and absence of basalt, simulating expected conditions for a nuclear waste repository located in basalt at the Hanford Site, Washington. Experiments were performed in gold bag sampling autoclaves at temperatures between 90{degree}C and 300{degree}C, at 30 megapascals pressure. During the course of the experiments, samples of the fluid phase were periodically withdrawn from the autoclaves and were analyzed for pH as well as major, minor, and trace cations and anions. At 200{degree}C and 300{degree}C, all dissolved species displayed either steady-state concentrations or decreasing concentrations after the first 1,000 hrs. At 100{degree}C, some dissolved components had not reached steady-state concentrations after 6000 hr. Solids characterization suggests that the formation of secondary alteration phases such as alkali feldspar, smectite clays, scapolite, and a variety of uranium-bearing silicate phases, imposes solubility limits on the release of many analog elements of potential radionuclides. These steady-state (or solubility) concentration limits can be coupled with measured hydrologic flow rates to calculate radionuclide release rates from the waste form for a nuclear waste repository located in basalt.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corp., Richland, WA (USA). Rockwell Hanford Operations
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/RW
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-77RL01030
• OSTI ID: 5201562
• Report Number(s): RHO-BWI-TI-141; ON: TI90005859
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
BASALT
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
COMPILED DATA
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
GROUND WATER
HANFORD RESERVATION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR MATERIALS
ROCKS
SOLUBILITY
SPENT FUELS
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES