Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Tritium storage development. Progress report No. 7, January--March 1976. [Polymer impregnated tritiated concrete]

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7353955· OSTI ID:7353955

Polymer impregnation was shown to greatly improve the leach rate of tritiated concrete specimens on a laboratory scale. This technique is proposed for the disposal of high-level tritiated aqueous waste. Work was directed towards the development of a soak impregnation technique for large-scale samples. Four cylindrical specimens of polymer impregnated tritiated concrete (PITC) 27 cm x 28 cm long, each containing 10 Ci tritium, were produced and buried without containers in individual lysimeters at the Savannah River Plant; they are being monitored. To date, no tritium release has been noted in water or air samples taken from these lysimeters. A duplicate PITC sample also containing 10 Ci tritium was placed in static leaching in distilled water. After thirty-two days of leaching, the average fraction tritium release rate was 1.82 x 10/sup -5/ per day. A technique using an injector to distribute aqueous tritiated waste in dry cement prior to impregnation is under development. This injector method is more compatible with the glove box operations in use with high level tritiated aqueous waste than end-over-end drum tumbling. Initial PITC specimens have been produced using this technique.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, N.Y. (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
E(30-1)-16
OSTI ID:
7353955
Report Number(s):
BNL-21700
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English