Preliminary analysis of treatment strategies for transuranic wastes from reprocessing plants
This document provides a comparison of six treatment options for transuranic wastes (TRUW) resulting from the reprocessing of commercial spent fuel. Projected transuranic waste streams from the Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant (BNFP), the reference fuel reprocessing plant in this report, were grouped into the five categories of hulls and hardware, failed equipment, filters, fluorinator solids, and general process trash (GPT) and sample and analytical cell (SAC) wastes. Six potential treatment options were selected for the five categories of waste. These options represent six basic treatment objectives: (1) no treatment, (2) minimum treatment (compaction), (3) minimum number of processes and products (cementing or grouting), (4) maximum volume reduction without decontamination (melting, incinerating, hot pressing), (5) maximum volume reduction with decontamination (decontamination, treatment of residues), and (6) noncombustible waste forms (melting, incinerating, cementing). Schemes for treatment of each waste type were selected and developed for each treatment option and each type of waste. From these schemes, transuranic waste volumes were found to vary from 1 m/sup 3//MTU for no treatment to as low as 0.02 m/sup 3//MTU. Based on conceptual design requirements, life-cycle costs were estimated for treatment plus on-site storage, transportation, and disposal of both high-level and transuranic wastes (and incremental low-level wastes) from 70,000 MTU. The study concludes that extensive treatment is warranted from both cost and waste form characteristics considerations, and that the characteristics of most of the processing systems used are acceptable. The study recommends that additional combinations of treatment methods or strategies be evaluated and that in the interim, melting, incineration, and cementing be further developed for commercial TRUW. 45 refs., 9 figs., 32 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5281372
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-5130; ON: DE85017692
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
CEMENTING
COMBUSTION
COMPACTING
GROUTING
HOT PRESSING
MELTING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
BARNWELL FUEL PROCESSING PLANT
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DECONTAMINATION
OPERATING COST
RECOMMENDATIONS
VOLUME
WASTE TRANSPORTATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLEANING
COST
FABRICATION
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATERIALS WORKING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXIDATION
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PRESSING
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSPORT
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing