Spent LWR fuel leach tests: Waste Isolation Safety Assessment program
Spent light-water-reactor (LWR) fuels with burnups of 54.5, 28 and 9 MWd/kgU were leach-tested in deionized water at 25/sup 0/C. Fuel burnup has no apparent effect on the calculated leach rates based upon the behavior of /sup 137/Cs and /sup 239 +240/Pu. A leach test of 54.5 MWd/kgU spent fuel in synthetic sea brine showed that the cesium-based leach rate is lower in sea brine than in deionized water. A rise in the leach rate was observed after approximately 600 d of cumulative leaching. During the rise, the leach rate for all the measured radionuclides become nearly equal. Evidence suggests that exposure of new surfaces to the leachant may cause the increase. As a result, experimental work to study leaching mechanisms of spent fuel has been initiated. 22 figures.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-06-1830
- OSTI ID:
- 5860017
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-2982
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Long-term leaching of irradiated spent fuel
Leaching of irradiated LWR fuel pellets in deionized water, sea brine, and typical ground water
Related Subjects
Handling
& Storage
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BARIUM
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BRINES
BURNUP
CERIUM
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
KINETICS
LEACHING
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLATINUM METALS
PLUTONIUM
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE EARTHS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
REFRACTORY METALS
RUTHENIUM
SEAWATER
SEMIMETALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
TECHNETIUM
TELLURIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WATER
WATER COOLED REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES