Leaching of irradiated LWR fuel pellets in deionized water, sea brine, and typical ground water
The goal of the fuel leaching program is to generate durability data for irradiated fuels and to compare this data with other waste forms. The two major experimental parameters that were considered in the LWR fuel leaching studies are as follows: LWR fuel leaching studies; worst case fuel; and ground water plus reference leachant. The first experimental parameter was determined by locating a source of high burnup LWR fuel at the Battelle-Columbus Hot Laboratories which was one year out-of-reactor. The second experimental parameter was established by selecting Hanford well water as the ground water and deionized water as the reference leachant for comparing leach rates with other waste forms. A third leachant, was a synthetic sea salt brine solution. The leachant sampling frequency was patterned like the standard IAEA leaching procedure. The radiochemical analysis performed on the leach solutions were as follows: Cs quantified by gamma spectroscopy; Sb, Eu, Ru, Ce by gamma spectroscopy after removal of Cs; Sr + Y by beta analysis; Am analysis done after separation from /sup 238/Pu. Leach rates were determined by the concentration of specific radioisotopes in the leach solution and calculated by the equation, leach rate = (..cap alpha../sub n//A/sub 0/)(W/S)(1/n) = grams of solid/cm/sup 2/-day. The following leach rates were observed following 616 days of leaching in deionized water: /sup 137/Cs 8 x 10/sup -6/; /sup 239/Pu and /sup 240/Pu 2 x 10/sup -6/; /sup 244/Cm 6 x 10/sup -7/. The release mechanism for these radioisotopes are all different and there is no single mechanism to describe the release of radioisotopes after 616 days of leaching.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 7089633
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-6416; CONF-771109-114
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Handling
& Storage
052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM
ANTIMONY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BRINES
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CERIUM
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CURIUM 244
CURIUM ISOTOPES
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EUROPIUM
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FUEL PELLETS
FUELS
GROUND WATER
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
LEACHING
MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACKAGING
PELLETS
PLATINUM METALS
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE EARTHS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
REFRACTORY METALS
RUTHENIUM
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
STORAGE
STRONTIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
WATER
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
YTTRIUM