Comparison of leach results from field and laboratory prepared samples
The leach behavior of saltstone prepared in the laboratory agrees well with that from samples mixed in the field using the Littleford mixer. Leach rates of nitrates and cesium from the current reference formulation saltstone were compared. The laboratory samples were prepared using simulated salt solution; those in the field used Tank 50 decontaminated supernate. For both nitrate and cesium, the field and laboratory samples showed nearly identical leach rates for the first 30 to 50 days. For the remaining period of the test, the field samples showed higher leach rates with the maximum difference being less than a factor of three. Ruthenium and antimony were present in the Tank 50 supernate in known amounts. Antimony-125 was observed in the leachate and a fractional leach rate was calculated to be at least a factor of ten less than that of /sup 137/Cs. No /sup 106/Ru was observed in the leachate, and the release rate was not calculated. However, based on the detection limits for the analysis, the ruthenium leach rate must also be at least a factor of ten less than cesium. These data are the first measurements of the leach rates of Ru and Sb from saltstone. The nitrate leach rates for these samples were 5 x 10/sup -5/ grams of nitrate per square cm per day after 100 days for the laboratory samples and after 200 days for the field samples. These values are consistent with the previously measured leach rates for reference formulation saltstone. The relative standard deviation in the leach rate is about 15% for the field samples, which all were produced from one batch of saltstone, and about 35% for the laboratory samples, which came from different batches. These are the first recorded estimates of the error in leach rates for saltstone.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 5348680
- Report Number(s):
- DPST-85-261; ON: DE86015712
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANTIMONY
LEACHING
CESIUM
NITRATES
RUTHENIUM
WASTE FORMS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
PORTLAND CEMENT
ALKALI METALS
BUILDING MATERIALS
CEMENTS
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
MATERIALS
METALS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLATINUM METALS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTES
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
360604 - Materials- Corrosion
Erosion
& Degradation
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)