Effects of experimental parameters on the sorption of cesium, strontium, and uranium from saline groundwaters onto shales: Progress report

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6683391· OSTI ID:6683391

Meyer, R. E.; Arnold, W. D.; Case, F. I.; O'Kelley, G. D.

This report concerns an extension of the first series of experiments on the sorption properties of shales and their clay mineral components reported earlier. Studies on the sorption of cesium and strontium were carried out on samples of Chattanooga (Upper Dowelltown), Pierre, Green River Formation, Nolichucky, and Pumpkin Valley Shales that had been heated to 120/degree/C in a 0.1-mol/L NaCl solution for periods up to several months and on samples of the same shales which had been heated to 250/degree/C in air for six months, to simulate limiting scenarios in a HLW repository. To investigate the kinetics of the sorption process in shale/groundwater systems, strontium sorption experiments were done on unheated Pierre, Green River Formation, Nolichucky, and Pumpkin Valley Shales in a diluted, saline groundwater and in 0.03-mol/L NaHCO/sub 3/, for periods of 0.25 to 28 days. Cesium sorption kinetics tests were performed on the same shales in a concentrated brine for the same time periods. The effect of the water/rock (W/R) ratio on sorption for the same combinations of unheated shales, nuclides, and groundwaters used in the kinetics experiments was investigated for a range of W/R ratios of 3 to 20 mL/g. Because of the complexity of the shale/groundwater interaction, a series of tests was conducted on the effects of contact time and W/R ratio on the pH of a 0.03-mol/L NaHCO/sub 3/ simulated groundwater in contact with shales. 8 refs., 12 figs., 15 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6683391
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-10933; ON: DE89004258
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BRINES
CESIUM
CLAYS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
EVALUATION
GROUND WATER
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
MINERALOGY
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PROGRESS REPORT
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
STRONTIUM
SURFACE PROPERTIES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
URANIUM
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER