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Development of a Backfill for Containment of High-Level Nuclear Waste*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Floyd N. Hodges ,
Joseph H. Westsik Jr  and
Lane A. Bray
Floyd N. Hodges
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest Laboratory,**P. O. Box 999, Richland, Washington 99352, U.S.A.
Joseph H. Westsik Jr
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest Laboratory,**P. O. Box 999, Richland, Washington 99352, U.S.A.
Lane A. Bray
Affiliation:
Pacific Northwest Laboratory,**P. O. Box 999, Richland, Washington 99352, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Sodium and calcium bentonites, pressed to densities between 1.9 and 2.2 g/cm3, have hydraulic conductivities in the range of 10−11 to 10−13 cm/s. Batch sorption distribution ratios (Rd) indicate that Sr, Cs, and Am are strongly sorbed on bentonites and zeolites, that Np and U are moderately sorbed on bentonites and zeolites, and that Am, Np, U, I, and Tc are strongly sorbed on charcoal. Sorption results with basalt and tuff ground waters are similar; however, iodine in tuff ground water sorbs more strongly on bentonites Thermal diffusivity measurements for dry, compacted (p ∼ 2.1 g/cm3) sodium bentonite indicate that the thermal conductivity of a high density bentonite backfill should be roughly similar to that of silicate host rocks (basalt, granite, tuff). These results indicate that a bentonite backfill can significantly delay the first release of many radionuclides into the host rock and that by forming a diffusion barrier a bentonite backfill can significantly decrease the longterm release rate of radionuclides from the waste package.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 11: Symposium – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management V , 1981 , 641
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1982

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Footnotes

**

Operated for the U. S. Department of Energy by Battelle Memorial Institute.

*

Work performed for the U. S. Department of Energy under Contract DEAC06-76RLO 1830.

References

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