Phase Chemistry of Tank Sludge Residual Components
About four or five distinct reprocessing technologies were used at various times in Hanford's history. After removing U and Pu (or later 137Cs and 90Sr), the strongly acidic HLW was ''neutralized'' to high pH (>13) and stored in steel-lined tanks. High pH was necessary to prevent tank corrosion. While each technology produced chemically distinct waste, all wastes were similar in that they were high pH, concentrated, aqueous solutions. Dominant dissolved metals were Fe and/or Al, usually followed by Ni, Mn, or Cr. In an effort to reduce waste volume, many of the wastes were placed in evaporators or allowed to ''self-boil'' from the heat produced by their own radioactive decay. Consequently, today's HLW has been aging at temperatures ranging from 20 to 160 C. Previous studies of synthetic HLW sludge analogues have varied in their exact synthesis procedures and recipes, although each involved ''neutralization'' of acidic nitrate salt solutions by concentrated NaOH. Some recipes included small amounts of Si, SO4 2-, CO3 2-, and other minor chemical components in the Hanford sludges. The work being conducted at the University of Colorado differs from previous studies and from parallel current investigations at Sandia National Laboratories in the simplicity of the synthetic sludge we are investigating. We are emphasizing the dominant role of Fe and Al, and secondarily, the effects of Ni and Si on the aging kinetics of the solid phases in the sludge.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG07-97ER14834
- OSTI ID:
- 831171
- Report Number(s):
- EMSP-60403-2000; R&D Project: EMSP-60403; TRN: US0405915
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Jun 2000
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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