Dissolution of used CANDU fuel at various temperatures and redox conditions

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5366955

Stroes-Gascoyne, S; Johnson, L H; Beeley, P A; Sellinger, D M

Samples of used UO/sub 2/ fuel exposed to air-saturated water at 25/sup 0/C for eight years have been examined using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The results, in conjunction with solution analysis data, show evidence for a UO/sub 3/ x 2H/sub 2/O precipitate on the fuel surface, and confirm the importance of grain-boundary leaching in controlling Cs-137 release. Studies of used-fuel dissolution under both oxidizing and reducing conditions at 150/sup 0/C show significantly lower radionuclide release to solution for reducing conditions, illustrating the potential importance of redox chemistry in determining the long-term stability of used fuel after disposal.

• Research Organization: Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment, Pinawa, Manitoba
• OSTI ID: 5366955
• Report Number(s): CONF-850995-
• Journal Information: Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc.; (United States), Vol. 50; Conference: Materials Research Society international symposium, Stockholm, Sweden, 9 Sep 1985
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
URANIUM DIOXIDE
DISSOLUTION
CESIUM 137
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
LEACHING
OXIDATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
REDOX POTENTIAL
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WATER
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
053000* - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects
052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
360205 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Corrosion & Erosion