Disposal of Surplus Weapons Grade Plutonium
The Office of Fissile Materials Disposition is responsible for disposing of inventories of surplus US weapons-usable plutonium and highly enriched uranium as well as providing, technical support for, and ultimate implementation of, efforts to obtain reciprocal disposition of surplus Russian plutonium. On January 4, 2000, the Department of Energy issued a Record of Decision to dispose of up to 50 metric tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium using two methods. Up to 17 metric tons of surplus plutonium will be immobilized in a ceramic form, placed in cans and embedded in large canisters containing high-level vitrified waste for ultimate disposal in a geologic repository. Approximately 33 metric tons of surplus plutonium will be used to fabricate MOX fuel (mixed oxide fuel, having less than 5% plutonium-239 as the primary fissile material in a uranium-235 carrier matrix). The MOX fuel will be used to produce electricity in existing domestic commercial nuclear reactors. This paper reports the major waste-package-related, long-term disposal impacts of the two waste forms that would be used to accomplish this mission. Particular emphasis is placed on the possibility of criticality. These results are taken from a summary report published earlier this year.
- Research Organization:
- Yucca Mountain Project, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- NA
- OSTI ID:
- 840688
- Report Number(s):
- NA; MOL.20001006.0169, DC#26560; TRN: US0600507
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Long-term criticality safety concerns associated with surplus fissile material disposition
Advanced Recovery and Integrated Extraction System (ARIES) Fiscal Year 1996 Annual Report
Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CERAMICS
CONTAINERS
CRITICALITY
ELECTRICITY
FISSILE MATERIALS
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
IMPLEMENTATION
INVENTORIES
METRICS
OXIDES
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 239
REACTORS
URANIUM 235
WASTE FORMS
WASTES
WEAPONS