Nuclear fuel corrosion over millennia interpreted using geologic data
- Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States). Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses
Corrosion of nuclear fuel over the 10,000 year regulatory period in a geologic repository will be a function of physical characteristics (e.g., crystallinity, crystal sizes, crystal forms) and chemical characteristics (e.g., crystal composition, compositional variability, accessory phases). Natural uraninite (nominally UO{sub 2+x}) which has undergone long-term corrosion can be studied to infer the long-term behavior of nuclear fuel. Previously, uraninite from the Nopal I deposit, Pena Blanca district, Chihuahua, Mexico, has been shown to constitute an outstanding analog material for comparison with nuclear fuel. Similarities between Nopal I uraninite and nuclear fuel have been shown to include bulk composition, general crystal structure, and total trace element content. Data presented here suggest that, as a bulk material, Nopal I uraninite compares favorably with irradiated nuclear fuel. Nevertheless, some fine-scale differences are noted between Nopal I uraninite and irradiated nuclear fuel with respect to both internal structures and compositions. These observations suggest that whereas the long-term responses of the two materials to oxidative alteration in a geologic repository may be similar, the detailed mechanisms of initial oxidant penetration and the short-term oxidative alternation of Nopal I uraninite and irradiated nuclear fuel are likely to be different.
- OSTI ID:
- 70088
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940222-; TRN: IM9529%%427
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Corrosion 94: National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) international annual conference, Baltimore, MD (United States), 28 Feb - 4 Mar 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Corrosion/94 conference papers; PB: 5005 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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