Role of laves intermetallics in nuclear waste disposal.

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 2002 · Mater. Sci. Eng. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-5093(01)01512-X· OSTI ID:943002

Abraham, D P; Dietz, N

Laves intermetallics (AB2 compounds) play an important role in the disposal of metallic waste resulting from the electrometallurgical treatment of spent nuclear fuel. These ZrFe{sub 2}-type intermetallics incorporate and immobilize highly radioactive and long-lived constituents that are present in waste forms based on the stainless steel-zirconium (SS-Zr) alloys. This paper reviews the metallurgy of SS-Zr alloys with emphasis on Laves intermetallic behavior. Microscopy and diffraction studies have shown that all actinide elements and most fission product elements are present only in the ZrFe2-type intermetallics of a stainless steel-15 wt.% zirconium (SS-15Zr) waste form, whereas only molybdenum is incorporated in the ZrFe{sub 2}-type intermetallics of a zirconium-8 wt.% stainless steel (Zr-8SS) alloy. Because of the importance of material durability to waste disposal, recent experiments have been aimed at determining the corrosion behavior of these intermetallics. Results from transmission electron microscopy of corrosion layers observed on the ZrFe{sub 2}-type compounds are presented.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Sponsoring Organization: NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 943002
• Report Number(s): ANL/CMT/JA-36628
• Journal Information: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, Journal Name: Mater. Sci. Eng. A Journal Issue: Jun. 2002 Vol. 329; ISSN 0921-5093; ISSN MSAPE3
• 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
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ACTINIDES
ALLOYS
CORROSION
DIFFRACTION
ELEMENTS
FISSION PRODUCTS
LAYERS
MATERIALS
METALLURGY
MICROSCOPY
MOLYBDENUM
NUCLEAR FUELS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
STAINLESS STEELS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE FORMS
WASTES
ZIRCONIUM