WIPP/SRL in-situ tests: MIIT program--The effects of metal package components

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5566777

Covington, J A ^[1]; Wicks, G G ^[2]; Molecke, M A ^[3]

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1. Clemson Univ., SC (United States)
2. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
3. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

The Materials Interface Interactions Tests or MIIT is the largest in-situ testing program in progress, involving burial of many simulated nuclear waste systems and accompanying package components. In MIIT, waste glass samples were fabricated into the shape of pineapple slices', polished on one side. Proposed package components were also made into a similar configuration and the various glasses, metals, and geologic samples were than stacked onto heater elements within Teflon assemblies. This produced interactions of interest by creating glass/glass, glass/salt, and glass/metal interfaces. Since the outer diameter of the metal was smaller than the outer diameter of the glass, a lip was created which was also produced a glass/liquid interface, which was also studied. Overall, a total of 50 stacks or assemblies of pineapple slices were created in seven different stacking arrangements. Each individual assembly was then installed in an instrumented borehole at WIPP. Brine was then added to most of boreholes and the assemblies heated and maintained at 90{degrees}C. This was achieved by energizing the central heating and rod that traversed through the middle opening of each of the pineapple slices in each assembly. Due to the design of these units, glass, metal and geologic samples could be removed at time intervals of 6 mos., 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years. Currently, all but the 5 year samples have been removed from test and are being evaluated in laboratories of MIIT participants.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 5566777
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS-91-074; CONF-9104256-9; ON: DE92009752
• Resource Relation: Conference: Symposium on nuclear waste management, Cincinnati, OH (United States), 28 Apr - 2 May 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LEACHING
FOURIER TRANSFORM SPECTROMETERS
GLASS
INFRARED SPECTRA
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
METALS
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
PERFORMANCE TESTING
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WASTE FORMS
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COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
DISSOLUTION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
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NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PILOT PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SCATTERING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTRA
SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROSCOPY
TESTING
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
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052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage