Leaching of actinides and technetium from simulated high-level waste glass

Technical Report · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5536802· OSTI ID:5536802

Bradley, D J; Harvey, C O; Turcotte, R P

Leach tests were conducted using a modified version of the IAEA procedure to study the behavior of glass waste-solution interactions. Release rates were determined for Tc, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm, and Si in the following solutions: WIPP B salt brine, NaCl (287 g/l), NaCl (1.76 g/1), CaCl/sub 2/ (1.66 g/l), NaHCO/sub 3/ (2.52 g/l), and deionized water. The leach rates for all elements decreased an order of magnitude from their initial values during the first 20 to 30 days leaching time. The sodium bicarbonate solution produced the highest elemental release rates, while the saturated salt brine and deionized water in general gave the lowest release. Technetium has the highest initial release of all elements studied. The technetium release rates, however, decreased by over four orders of magnitude in 150 days of leaching time. In the prepared glass, technetium was phase separated, concentrating on internal pore surfaces. Neptunium, in all cases except CaCl/sub 2/ solution, shows the highest actinide release rate. In general, curium and uranium have the lowest release rates. The range of actinide release rates is from 10/sup -5/ to 10/sup -8/ g/cm/sup 2//day. 25 figures, 7 tables.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-06-1830
• OSTI ID: 5536802
• Report Number(s): PNL-3152
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACID CARBONATES
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
AMERICIUM
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BRINES
CALCIUM CHLORIDES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM HALIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CURIUM
DISPERSIONS
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
GLASS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LEACHING
METALS
MIXTURES
NEPTUNIUM
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REFRACTORY METALS
SEMIMETALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SILICON
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLUTIONS
TECHNETIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM
WASTES
WATER