Complexant stability investigation. Task 2. Organic complexants

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5539136· OSTI ID:5539136

Martin, E C

The safety of high-level defense waste operations has always been given highest priority at the Hanford site. This document is part of the continued effort to appraise and reevaluate the safety of the waste stored in underground tanks on the Hanford Reservation. Hanford high-level defense waste consists mainly of moist, inorganic salts, NaNO/sub 3/, NaAl(OH)/sub 4/, Na/sub 2/CO/sub 3/, and other sodium salts. However, in addition to these salts, quantities of organic compounds constitute a significant portion of the waste. The potential reaction of the organic compounds with inorganic salts to form explosive substances is examined and found to be nonexistent or negligible. The concept that the waste mixture might react exothermically is found to be untenable under the present storage conditions. The phenomenon of slurry growth in double-shell waste storage tanks is expected to cause no increase in exothermic reaction potential within the waste. The results of this study indicate that the presence of organic material in the high-level defense waste does not constitute undue hazard under the present storage conditions.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5539136
• Report Number(s): PNL-5453; ON: DE85014005
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
OXIDIZERS
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIVES
HANFORD RESERVATION
LIQUID WASTES
TANKS
CONTAINERS
EXPLOSIVES
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
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RADIOACTIVE WASTES
STORAGE
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage