Waste management. Savannah River Laboratory quarterly report, January--March 1977
Long-term waste management studies reported on are sludge washing/drying and effect of sludge composition on the leachability of glass waste forms. Tests with simulated wastes show that elimination of the drying step in the reference process for solidification of defense waste may be feasible. Elimination of the drying step is desirable to simplify the process and avoid the development of specialized rotating mechanical equipment. Soxhlet leach tests showed that glass samples containing U/sub 3/O/sub 8/, NiO, MnO/sub 2/, or CaO (principal components of SRP sludge) had leachabilities up to five times that of glass without these additives. Eliminating TiO/sub 2/ from the glass increased the leachability by a factor of three. Two compositions of borosilicate glass were compatible with all major constituents of SRP sludge. Interim waste management studies reported on are characterization of burial ground soils, distribution and leaching of plutonium in alpha waste trench soil, and decontamination of equipment by electropolishing. To postulate the movement of alpha-emitting radionuclides from buried solid waste to the environment, the measured distribution coefficient (K/sub d/) for plutonium in 39 typical burial ground soils averaged 1500, with a range of 500 to 4000. Strontium K/sub d/ for 56 burial ground soil specimens ranged between 9 and 6000, with an average of 400 and a median of 110. Leach testing of six cores of burial ground soil indicate (1) the plutonium is not cation-exchanged and may be in the form of a nonpolymeric hydroxide, and (2) about 76% of the plutonium is associated with the clay fraction. Tests at Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory have shown electropolishing to be an effective technique for metal decontamination. Preliminary laboratory experiments at SRL have confirmed that electropolishing will decontaminate stainless steel surfaces. A pilot electrodecontamination facility is being installed at SRL.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-09-0001
- OSTI ID:
- 6792679
- Report Number(s):
- DPST-77-125-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Waste management. Savannah River Laboratory quarterly report, July--September 1976
Waste management quarterly report, January--March 1978
Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
BORON COMPOUNDS
BOROSILICATES
CLEANING
DECONTAMINATION
DISSOLUTION
DISTRIBUTION
DRYING
ELECTROLYSIS
ELECTROPOLISHING
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
GLASS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LEACHING
LIQUID WASTES
LYSIS
MANAGEMENT
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PLUTONIUM
POLISHING
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SLUDGES
SOILS
SOLIDIFICATION
STORAGE
SURFACE FINISHING
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASHING
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE STORAGE
WASTES