Semivolatile fission product behavior in high-level waste vitrification
The solidification of high-level wastes is being evaluated as a method for final control of high-level nuclear wastes. The high temperatures required in the solidification process cause the volatilization of small amounts of fission products, primarily ruthenium and cesium. In order to determine cleanup requirements, a good understanding must be gained as to the quantities of fission products volatilized and how these quantities relate to operating conditions. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory, operated by Battelle-Northwest for the U.S. Department of Energy, has been investigating ruthenium and cesium volatilization in various calciners. Studies have been made using both simulated (nonradioactive) and radioactive feedstock. The ongoing investigations have indicated that the semivolatile fission product losses are small enough to be controlled by off-gas cleanup treatment. During recent spray calcination of simulated high-level liquid waste, not more than 0.2 percent of the ruthenium and 0.1 percent of the cesium were lost to the off-gas system. Decontamination factors of about 600 for ruthenium and 1150 for cesium have been obtained across the spray calciner.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-06-1830
- OSTI ID:
- 6941890
- Report Number(s):
- BNWL-SA-6461; CONF-771139-3; TRN: 78-017081
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Radioactive effluents from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants seminar, Karlsruhe, F.R. Germany, 22 Nov 1977
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CESIUM
EVAPORATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
SOLIDIFICATION
RUTHENIUM
DECONTAMINATION
EFFICIENCY
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
VITRIFICATION
ALKALI METALS
CLEANING
ELEMENTS
MANAGEMENT
METALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PLATINUM METALS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REFRACTORY METALS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing