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Leaching of Whole, Defected Used Candu™ Fuel Elements in Saline Solutions Under Argon Pressure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

S. Stroes-Gascoyne ,
L. H. Johnson ,
J. C. Tait  and
D. M. Sellinger
S. Stroes-Gascoyne
Affiliation:
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment, Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada ROE ILO
L. H. Johnson
Affiliation:
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment, Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada ROE ILO
J. C. Tait
Affiliation:
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment, Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada ROE ILO
D. M. Sellinger
Affiliation:
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment, Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada ROE ILO
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Abstract

In the context of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program, experiments were performed in which whole, intentionally defected used CANDU™ fuel elements were exposed to deoxygenated saline solutions at 100°C for 484 days. Results suggest that both 90Sr and 99Tc are preferentially released from grain boundaries and that 85Kr release is a good measure of the extent of grain-boundary dissolution. Severe grain-boundary attack in particular areas of the fuel is also evident from scanning electron microscope observations. It is hypothesized that such localized attack is related to fuel porosity. Because of its poor corrosion performance in saline solutions, the Zircaloy sheath cannot be considered as a radionuclide release barrier.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 127: Symposium BERLIN – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XII , 1988 , 301
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1989

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References

REFERENCES

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