Properties of radioactive wastes and waste containers. Quarterly progress report, July--September 1976

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7255861

Colombo, P; Neilson, Jr, R M

Experimental formulations for the solidification of selected simulated BWR and PWR wastes with urea-formaldehyde (UF) and portland type II cement have been determined. Solidified products were obtained for all waste types tested although some difficulties were encountered at high waste/solidification agent ratios for sulfate wastes in UF and boric acid concentrates in portland cement. Adjustment of waste pH to 10 before incorporation with portland cement did provide more rapid solidifications and allow increased waste loadings for some wastes. The free standing water in simulated wastes solidified with UF was measured and found to vary from zero to 25.4 wt. percent. Adjustment of the waste-UF mixture pH to 1.5 +- 0.5 by the addition of sufficient acid catalyst resulted in a significant reduction in the quantity of free standing water. The cesium and strontium leachabilities of Amberlite IRN-77 and Powdex PCH cation exchange resins were determined for static leaching in distilled water. After forty-one days of leaching, the IRN-77 resin showed an average fractional release rate of 3.22 x 10/sup -4/ day/sup -1/ and 1.15 x 10/sup -5/ day/sup -1/ for cesium and strontium respectively while corresponding values of 8.60 x 10/sup -4/ day/sup -1/ and 1.08 x 10/sup -5/ day/sup -1/ were obtained for the powdered resin. Cobalt-60 radiolysis gas releases were measured for portland type II cement, urea-formaldehyde, and Pioneer 221 asphalt. Experiments were also performed to determine the unnotched Izod impact strength and flammability of urea-formaldehyde, portland type II cement, and Pioneer 221 asphalt. The freeze-thaw resistance of a urea-formaldehyde specimen was also observed. (DLC)

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-0016
• OSTI ID: 7255861
• Report Number(s): BNL-NUREG-50617
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALDEHYDES
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
AMIDES
ASPHALTS
BITUMENS
BUILDING MATERIALS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CARBONIC ACID DERIVATIVES
CEMENTS
CESIUM
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
DEGASSING
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
FLAMMABILITY
FLUIDS
FORMALDEHYDE
GASES
IMPACT STRENGTH
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POLYMERS
PORTLAND CEMENT
PROCESSING
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOLYSIS
REACTORS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RESINS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLIDIFICATION
STRONTIUM
TAR
UREA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS