Plutonium doping of SYNROC-D

Technical Report · Fri May 27 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5562107

Van Konynenburg, R A; Guinan, M W

The purpose of this work was to perform an experimental simulation of the radiation effects that SYNROC-D (a ceramic waste form and the alternate to borosilicate glass for US defense high-level nuclear waste) will experience during the first million years of storage. Technology was developed for doping SYNROC-D with /sup 238/Pu and performing external gamma irradiation to simulate both actinide and fission product decay. The doping technique was tested using both Ce and U as stand-ins to simulate the +3 and +4 oxidation states of Pu, respectively. Samples were characterized by ceramography, density measurements, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive x-ray analysis, electron microprobe, scanning transmission electron microscope, gamma ray spectrometry, and leaching; equipment was fabricated for dilatation measurements. An early decision by the Department of Energy (DOE) to select borosilicate glass and terminate SYNROC-D development prevented doping with /sup 238/Pu or external gamma irradiation. However, a sample was doped with /sup 239/Pu in order to study the Pu distribution, and characterization of this sample was completed. Although conclusive proof was not developed, all indications from this work are that Pu will go into the zirconolite and perovskite phases in SYNROC-D, favoring perovskite under the redox conditions prevailing in a graphite die. Technology development and results of Ce, U, and /sup 239/Pu doping studies are described in this report.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5562107
• Report Number(s): UCRL-53425; ON: DE84000987
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DATA
DISSOLUTION
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FABRICATION
GAMMA RADIATION
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTOPES
LEACHING
MATERIALS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
ROCKS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
SYNTHETIC ROCKS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES