Tritium control: April-September 1983

Technical Report · Fri Jan 27 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5336237

Lamberger, P H; Rogers, M L

The Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange (CECE) and Water Feed Cleanup (WFCU) systems were decommissioned, and the associated glovebox lines were decontaminated. Previously predicted correlations between atmospheric tritium concentrations and surface contamination and rates of atmospheric decontamination were examined during the decommissioning of the three gloveboxes. To expedite this procedure, the boxline was purged with air and N/sub 2/ by employing high volumetric flow rates of up to 1.7 vol %/min. The relationship between atmospheric concentration and cleanup times was examined for this purge rate. Results from surveys taken inside the boxline were compared to results expected according to the correlations predicted by previous surveys. Gas generation rates caused by radiolysis of tritiated waste materials were determined for polymer and nonpolymer-impregnated tritiated concrete and fixated and nonfixated tritiated waste vacuum pump oil. In addition, the pressure change of hydrogen cover gas over tritiated water on cement-plaster was determined. The test program to measure and compare the release of tritium from tritiated concrete with and without styrene impregnation continued. Tritium permeation data from small test blocks are given. The drum study monitoring the release of tritium from actual burial packages continued. The maximum fractional release rate for the three types of high activity, tritiated liquid waste generated is 7.05 x 10/sup -6/, and the maximum total permeation is 241 mCi after 9 yr. These two values represent a 7% increase for the past 6 months. Tritium release from the polymer-impregnated, tritiated concrete (PITC) and from the control (non-PITC) remains very low. A sample of the 10-year-old catalyst from the Emergency Containment System (ECS) reactor was tested to determine its efficiency. Preliminary results indicate a conversion rate of 90 +- 10%.

• Research Organization: Monsanto Research Corp., Miamisburg, OH (USA). Mound
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00053
• OSTI ID: 5336237
• Report Number(s): MLM-3128; ON: DE84006388
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
AROMATICS
AUTOLYSIS
AUTORADIOLYSIS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUILDING MATERIALS
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CONCRETES
CONTAMINATION
DECOMPOSITION
DIFFUSION
EQUIPMENT
GLOVEBOXES
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LIGHT NUCLEI
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PROCESSING
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLYSIS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SURFACE CONTAMINATION
TRITIUM
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
YIELDS