The Formation and Modeling of Colloids from the Corrosion of Nuclear Waste Forms

Conference · Thu Oct 29 04:00:00 EDT 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1124-Q11-01· OSTI ID:967214

Buck, Edgar C; Wittman, Richard S

This paper describes a model for determining the stability and associated radionuclide concentrations of colloids that might be present in the nuclear waste package environment from degradation of the nuclear waste forms. The model simplifies radionuclide–colloid behavior by assuming that all colloids can be defined as either smectite clay, a mixed actinide-bearing rare earth-zirconium oxide, iron oxyhydroxide (ferrihydrite {FeOOH}, or uranophane {Ca(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2(H2O)5}. However, for the purposes of predictive stability modeling, the colloids are conceptually represented as montmorillonite, ZrO2, hematite, and meta autunite, respectively. The model uses theoretical calculations and laboratory data to determine the stability of modeled colloids with ionic strength and pH. The true nature of colloid composition and heterogeneity, generation, and flocculation will be extremely complex, involving the formation of numerous types of phases, often depending on the composition of the various waste forms and waste package materials. This model strives to capture the uncertainty of the real system using theoretical models. In this paper, one of the four representative colloids designed to capture the behavior of the spent fuel derived colloids is described in detail.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 967214
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-63573; 2378
• 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
AUTUNITE
COLLOIDS
CORROSION
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
FLOCCULATION
HEMATITE
IRON
MANAGEMENT
MONTMORILLONITE
Nuclear waste
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVITY
SMECTITE
SPENT FUELS
STABILITY
URANOPHANE
WASTE FORMS
WASTES
colloids
modeling