Distribution and Solubility of Radionuclides and Neutron Absorbers in Waste forms for Disposition of Plutonium Ash and Scraps, Excess Plutonium, and Miscellaneous Spent Nuclear Fuels

Technical Report · Thu Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/831154· OSTI ID:831154

Strachan, Denis M

Successful immobilization of actinides (Am, Cm, Th, Pu, Np, etc.) in crystalline and amorphous host matrixes with appropriate neutron absorbers (B, Hf, Gd, etc.) requires sound scientific knowledge of the local chemical environments of both the actinides (An) and the neutron absorbers and their interaction with the host matrixes. This understanding leads to a more systematic and efficient approach to predicting solubilities than the strictly empirical approach now used. The goals of this ongoing research are to determine solubility limits of representative actinides (Pu and U) and neutron absorbers (Hf and Gd) in crystalline and amorphous matrixes and to determine solution mechanisms of these species in the two types of systems. Actinides and neutron absorbers in amorphous systems have been studied at PNNL in collaboration with LBNL and University of Michigan and in crystalline systems at ANSTO. We believe that we are in a position to understand the chemical systematics of silicate melts so that the solubility of actinides, neutron absorbers, and, we would suggest, other metal species in glass no longer must be determined empirically but can be calculated from a set of equilibrium constants in a fashion similar to aqueous systems.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US)
• DOE Contract Number: FG07-97ER45672
• OSTI ID: 831154
• Report Number(s): EMSP-60387--2000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTINIDES
ANSTO
DISTRIBUTION
GLASS
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NUCLEAR FUELS
PLUTONIUM
RADIOISOTOPES
SILICATES
SOLUBILITY
SPENT FUELS
WASTE FORMS