Treatment of EBR-I NaK mixed waste at Argonne National Laboratory and subsequent land disposal at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.
Conference
·
OSTI ID:8111
Sodium/potassium (NaK) liquid metal coolant, contaminated with fission products from the core meltdown of Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) and classified as a mixed waste, has been deactivated and converted to a contact-handled, low-level waste at Argonne's Sodium Component Maintenance Shop and land disposed at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. Treatment of the EBR-I NaK involved converting the sodium and potassium to its respective hydroxide via reaction with air and water, followed by conversion to its respective carbonate via reaction with carbon dioxide. The resultant aqueous carbonate solution was solidified in 55-gallon drums. Challenges in the NaK treatment involved processing a mixed waste which was incompletely characterized and difficult to handle. The NaK was highly radioactive, i.e. up to 4.5 R/hr on contact with the mixed waste drums. In addition, the potential existed for plutonium and toxic characteristic metals to be present in the NaK, resultant from the location of the partial core meltdown of EBR-I in 1955. Moreover, the NaK was susceptible to degradation after more than 40 years of storage in unmonitored conditions. Such degradation raised the possibility of energetic exothermic reactions between the liquid NaK and its crust, which could have consisted of potassium superoxide as well as hydrated sodium/potassium hydroxides.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 8111
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/ED/CP-94029
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Mechanical design and fabrication of a prototype facility for processing NaK using a chlorine reaction method
Processing EBR-I NaK to produce a storable solid
Proposed decommissioning of radioactively contaminated NaK
Conference
·
Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1989
·
OSTI ID:6529622
Processing EBR-I NaK to produce a storable solid
Conference
·
Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1975
·
OSTI ID:4128014
Proposed decommissioning of radioactively contaminated NaK
Conference
·
Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987
·
OSTI ID:5660741