Mechanical Properties of K Basin Sludge Constituents and Their Surrogates
Abstract
A survey of the technical literature was performed to summarize the mechanical properties of inorganic components in K Basins sludge. The components included gibbsite, ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite and goethite, hematite, quartz, anorthite, calcite, basalt, Zircaloy, aluminum, and, in particular, irradiated uranium metal and uranium dioxide. Review of the technical literature showed that information on the hardness of uranium metal at irradiation exposures similar to those experienced by the N Reactor fuel present in the K Basins (typically up to 3000 MWd/t) were not available. Measurements therefore were performed to determine the hardness of coupons taken from three irradiated N Reactor uranium metal fuel elements taken from K Basins. Hardness values averaged 30 {+-} 8 Rockwell C units, similar to values previously reported for uranium irradiated to {approx}1200 MWd/t. The physical properties of candidate uranium metal and uranium dioxide surrogates were gathered and compared. Surrogates having properties closest to those of irradiated uranium metal appear to be alloys of tungsten. The surrogate for uranium dioxide, present both as particles and agglomerates in actual K Basin sludge, likely requires two materials. Cerium oxide, CeO2, was identified as a surrogate of the smaller UO2 particles while steel grit was identified for the UO2 agglomerates.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 15010706
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-14947
830403000; TRN: US0500314
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 6 Dec 2004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; ALUMINIUM; ANORTHITE; BASALT; CALCITE; CERIUM OXIDES; FUEL ELEMENTS; GIBBSITE; GOETHITE; HEMATITE; IRRADIATION; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES; N-REACTOR; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; QUARTZ; SLUDGES; TUNGSTEN; URANIUM; URANIUM DIOXIDE; ZIRCALOY; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, K BASIN SLUDGE, GIBBSITE, FERRIHYDRITE, LEPIDOCROCITE AND GOETHITE, HEMATITE, QUARTZ, ANORTHITE, CALCITE, BASALT, ZIRCALOY, ALUMINUM, AND, IN PARTICULAR, IRRADIATED URANIUM METAL AND URANIUM DIOXIDE, N REACTOR FUEL, ROCKWELL C, TUNGSTEN, CERIUM OXIDE, SURROGATE
Citation Formats
Delegard, Calvin H, Schmidt, Andrew J, and Chenault, Jeffrey W. Mechanical Properties of K Basin Sludge Constituents and Their Surrogates. United States: N. p., 2004.
Web. doi:10.2172/15010706.
Delegard, Calvin H, Schmidt, Andrew J, & Chenault, Jeffrey W. Mechanical Properties of K Basin Sludge Constituents and Their Surrogates. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/15010706
Delegard, Calvin H, Schmidt, Andrew J, and Chenault, Jeffrey W. 2004.
"Mechanical Properties of K Basin Sludge Constituents and Their Surrogates". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/15010706. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/15010706.
@article{osti_15010706,
title = {Mechanical Properties of K Basin Sludge Constituents and Their Surrogates},
author = {Delegard, Calvin H and Schmidt, Andrew J and Chenault, Jeffrey W},
abstractNote = {A survey of the technical literature was performed to summarize the mechanical properties of inorganic components in K Basins sludge. The components included gibbsite, ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite and goethite, hematite, quartz, anorthite, calcite, basalt, Zircaloy, aluminum, and, in particular, irradiated uranium metal and uranium dioxide. Review of the technical literature showed that information on the hardness of uranium metal at irradiation exposures similar to those experienced by the N Reactor fuel present in the K Basins (typically up to 3000 MWd/t) were not available. Measurements therefore were performed to determine the hardness of coupons taken from three irradiated N Reactor uranium metal fuel elements taken from K Basins. Hardness values averaged 30 {+-} 8 Rockwell C units, similar to values previously reported for uranium irradiated to {approx}1200 MWd/t. The physical properties of candidate uranium metal and uranium dioxide surrogates were gathered and compared. Surrogates having properties closest to those of irradiated uranium metal appear to be alloys of tungsten. The surrogate for uranium dioxide, present both as particles and agglomerates in actual K Basin sludge, likely requires two materials. Cerium oxide, CeO2, was identified as a surrogate of the smaller UO2 particles while steel grit was identified for the UO2 agglomerates.},
doi = {10.2172/15010706},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15010706},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2004},
month = {Mon Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2004}
}