Ion-implantation studies of nuclear-waste forms. [Borosilicate glass; titanate ceramic]

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5914519

Arnold, G W; Headley, T J

The first observations of physical and chemical changes induced by lead implantation damage and leaching are reported for two proposed US nuclear waste forms (PNL 76-78 borosilicate glass and Sandia titanate ceramics) for commercial wastes. To simulate the effects of recoil nuclei due to alpha decay, the materials were implanted with lead ions at equivalent doses up to approximately 1 x 10/sup 19/ a decays/cm/sup 3/. In the titanate waste form, the zirconolite, perovskite, hollandite, and rutile phases all exhibited a mottled appearance in the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) typical of defect clusters in radiation damaged, crystalline solids. One titanate phase containing uranium was found by TEM to be amorphous after implantation at the highest dose. No enhanced leaching (deionized water, room temperature, 24 hours) of the irradiated titanate waste form, including the amorphous phase, was detected by TEM, but Rutherford backscattering (RBS) suggested a loss of cesium and calcium after 21 hours of leaching. The RBS spectra also indicated enhanced leaching from the PNL 76-68 borosilicate glass after implantation with lead ions, in general agreement with the observations of Dran, et al. (6,7) on other irradiated materials. Elastic recoil detection spectroscopy (ERD), used to profile hydrogen after leaching, showed penetration of the hydrogen to several thousand angstroms for both the implanted and unimplanted materials. These basic studies identified techniques to follow the changes that occur on implantation and leaching of complex amorphous and crystalline waste forms. These studies were not designed to produce comparisons between waste forms of gross leach rates. 6 figures.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5914519
• Report Number(s): SAND-81-1373C; CONF-811122-18; ON: DE82003344
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALPHA DECAY
BACKSCATTERING
BOROSILICATE GLASS
CERAMICS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DECAY
DISSOLUTION
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
GLASS
HYDROGEN
IMPLANTS
ION IMPLANTATION
IONS
LEACHING
LEAD IONS
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RECOILS
RUTHERFORD SCATTERING
SCATTERING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIMULATION
SPECTROSCOPY
TITANATES
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
WASTES