Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T09:12:08.207Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Very Rough Preliminary Estimate of the Colloidal Sodium Induced in Rock Salt by Radioactive Waste Canister Radiation*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

P. W. Levy  and
J. A. Kierstead
P. W. Levy
Affiliation:
Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, U.S.A.
J. A. Kierstead
Affiliation:
Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, U.S.A.
Get access

Abstract

Very rough estimates have been made of the total amount, the formation rate and spatial distribution of the Na metal colloid particles induced in rock salt adjacent to four types of radioactive waste canisters. A number of extrapolations were required. Salt immediately adjacent to a lightly shielded, 2.16 kW, high level waste canister could be converted entirely to colloidal Na (and presumably chlorine gas) in 200-400 years. The total Na metal formed will be 250-300 kg. A heavily shielded, 3.3 kW, spent fuel canister will convert roughly 0.3 percent of the salt at the canister surface to colloidal Na and the total sodium metal will be roughly 0.5 kg. Even at the lowest colloid levels the Na metal formed should greatly influence interactions between canisters and the surrounding salt, particularly if brine enters.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 26: Symposium D – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management VII , 1983 , 727
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Supported by U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC02-76CH00016.

References

REFERENCES

1. Levy, P. W., Loman, J. M., Swyler, K. J. and Klaffky, R. W., The Technology of High-Level Nuclear Waste Disposal 1, Hofmann, P. L. (Ed.), DOE/TIC-4261, (DE82009594)(U.S. Dept. of Energy Tech. Info. Div., Oak Ridge, TN, 1981) p. 136.Google Scholar
2. Levy, P. W., Nuclear Technology, 60, 231 (1983).Google Scholar
3. Levy, P. W. and Kierstead, J. A., Annual Tech. Rpt. for FY83, ONWI Report ONWI/SUB/78/E511-16330-55; BNL Report 33599, 1983.Google Scholar
4. Jain, U. and Lidiard, A. B., Phil. Mag. 35, 245 (1977).Google Scholar
5. Levy, P. W., Loman, J. M., Swyler, K. J. and Dougherty, D. R., Radiation Effects, 72, 303 (1983).Google Scholar
6. Loman, J. M., Levy, P. W. and Swyler, K. J., The Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management, Topp, S. V., ed. (Elsevier, New York 1982), p. 433.Google Scholar
7. Levy, P. W., Mattern, P. L., Lengweiler, K., and Goldberg, M., Solid State Comm. 9, 1907 (1971).Google Scholar
8. Levy, P. W. and Kierstead, J. A., Very Rough Preliminary Estimate of the Sodium Metal Colloid Induced in Natural Rock Salt by the Radiations From Radioactive Waste Canisters, Brookhaven National Laboratory Report 32004, 1982. (To be issued as an ONWI Report.)Google Scholar
9. Raines, G. E., Bibler, N. E., Claiborne, H. C., Henry, K. H., McElroy, J. L., Matalucci, R. V., Moody, J. B., Osnes, J. D., Rickertsen, L. D. and Zimmerman, R. M., Interim Reference Repository Conditions for Commercial and Defense High-level Nuclear Waste and Spent Fuel Repositories in Salt. Battelle Institute, Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation, Columbus, OH, 1981.Google Scholar
10. Panno, S. V., Chemical Changes in Radiation Damaged Rock Salt: Preliminary Results, BNL Informal Report NUREG-32523, 1982.Google Scholar
11. McVay, G. L., Radiation Effects on Nuclear Waste Storage Materials, Proc. Second Int. Conf. on Radiation Effects in Insulators. To be published in Nuc. Tech.Google Scholar
12. Engineered Waste Package Conceptual Design, Defense High-level Waste (Form 1) and Spent Fuel (Form 2), Disposal in Salt, Westinghouse Report (Draft) AESD-TME-3131, Pittsburgh, PA, 1981.Google Scholar