Adsorption of Pu(IV) Polymer onto 304L Stainless Steel

Technical Report · Fri Jul 16 04:00:00 EDT 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6194648· OSTI ID:6194648

Bronikowski, M G

'The report, Technical Basis for Safe Operations with Pu-239 Polymer in NMS S Operating Facilities (F H Areas), (WSRC-TR-99-00008) was issued in an effort to upgrade the Authorization Basis (AB) for H Area facilities relative to nuclear criticality. At the time, insufficient data were found in the literature to quantify the adsorption of Pu polymer onto the surfaces of stainless steel tanks. Additional experimental or literature information on the adsorption of Pu(IV) polymer and its removal was deemed necessary to support the H Area AB. The results obtained are also applicable to processing in F Area facilities.Additional literature sources suggest that adsorption on the tank walls should not be a safety concern. The sources show that the amount of Pu polymer that adsorbs from a solution comes to a limiting amount in 5 to 7 days after which no additional Pu is adsorbed. Adsorption increases with Pu concentration and decreases with acid concentration. The adsorbed amounts are small varying from 0.5 mg/cm2 for a 0.5 g/l Pu / 0.5M HNO3 solution to 11 mg/cm2 for a 1-3 g/l Pu / 0.1M HNO3 solution. Additionally, acid concentrations greater than 0.1M will remove a percentage of adsorbed Pu.The experimental results have generally confirmed much of what has been reported in the literature. Specifically, adsorption onto stainless steel was found to increase with increased Pu concentration, and decreased acid concentration. The amount adsorbed was found to come to a limiting amount after 5 to 7 days. Pu adsorbed as polymer was found to be harder to remove than if it was adsorbed as Pu(IV). The amount of Pu adsorbed as polymer was found to be almost an order of magnitude more than that from a similar concentration Pu(IV) solution. Unlike the literature, only a slight increase in adsorption values was found when the steel surface was removed, dried, and replaced in the Pu solution. The amount of Pu as polymer which would adsorb onto the surface of a 14,000L tank was estimated to be less than 10 grams and thus was not a safety concern.'

• Research Organization: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-96SR18500
• OSTI ID: 6194648
• Report Number(s): WSRC-TR-99-00210; ON: DE00009176
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050000* -- Nuclear Fuels
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ADSORPTION
ALLOYS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AUSTENITIC STEELS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
ISOTOPES
LOW CA
MATERIALS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POLYMERS
RADIOISOTOPES
SORPTION
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
STAINLESS STEEL-304L
STAINLESS STEELS
STEEL-CR19NI10-L
STEELS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES