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Diffusion of Radionuclides in Brine-Saturated Backfill Barrier Materials*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

E. J. Nowak
E. J. Nowak*
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185, USA
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Abstract

The diffusion of cesium(I), strontium(II), pertechnetate and europium in brine-saturated backfill materials was measured. Plastic diffusion cells containing cylindrical diffusion columns were used for low density backfill materials. The diffusion of gamma-emitters was followed by a gamma scanning technique. Metal diffusion cells constructed entirely from Hastelloy C-276 were used for the diffusion of pertechnetate in highly compacted bentonite. Apparent distribution coefficients calculated from diffusion data are (a) 0.02 m3 /kg for cesium(I) in 40 wt.% mordenite and 60 wt.% bentonite; (b) 0.04 m3/kg for strontium(II) in 10 wt.% sodium titanate and 90 wt.% bentonite; (c) 0.5 m3/kg for pertechnetate in 70 wt.% charcoal and 30 wt.% bentonite; and (d) 3 m3/kg for europium in 100% bentonite. Backfill effectiveness estimates based on batch sorption measurements were supported by these results;however, the diffusion results for europium did not agree well with a model for diffusion retarded by linear sorption. First measurements of pertechnetate diffusion in highly compacted bentonite suggest that anion exclusion may play a role in reducing mass transport rates of anions in this material. Needs for diffusion measurements that take into account site-specific materials interactions are described.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 15: Symposium D – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management VI , 1982 , 735
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1983

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Footnotes

*

This work performed at Sandia National Laboratories supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC04-76DP00789.

References

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