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Leaching Savannah River Plant Nuclear Waste Glass in a Saturated Tuff Environment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

N. E. Bibler ,
G. G. Wicks  and
V. M. Oversby
N. E. Bibler
Affiliation:
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29808
G. G. Wicks
Affiliation:
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29808
V. M. Oversby
Affiliation:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550
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Abstract

Samples of SRP glass containing either simulated or actual radioactive waste were leached at 90°C under conditions simulating a saturated tuff repository environment. The leach vessels were fabricated of tuff and actual tuff groundwater was used. Thus, the glass was leached only in the presence of those materials (including the Type 304L stainless steel canister material) that would be in the actual repository. Tests were performed for time periods up to 6 months at a SA/V ratio of 100 m−1. Results with glass containing simulated waste indicated that stainless steel canister material around the glass did not significantly affect the leaching. Based on Li and B (elements not in significant concentrations in the tuff or tuff groundwater), glass containing simulated waste leached identically to glass containing actual radioactive waste. The tuff buffered the pH so that only a slight increase was observed as a result of leaching. Results with glass containing actual radioactive waste indicated that tuff reduced the concentrations of Cs-137, Sr-90, and Pu-238 in the free groundwater in the simulated repository by 10–100X. Also, radiolysis of the groundwater by the glass (approximately 1000 rad/hr) did not significantly affect the pH in the presence of tuff. Measured normalized mass losses in the presence of tuff for the glass based on Cs-137, Sr-90, and Pu-238 in the free groundwater were extremely low, nominally 0.02, 0.02, and 0.005 g/m2, respectively, indicating that the glass-tuff system retained radionuclides well.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 44: Symposium N – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management VIII , 1984 , 247
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1985

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References

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