Characterization and leaching behavior of plutonium-bearing Synroc-C

Smith, KL; Lumpkin, GR; Blackford, MH; Hambley, M; Day, RA; Hart, KP; Jostsons, A

Characterization and leaching behavior of plutonium-bearing Synroc-C

Date

1997-04-22

Authors

Publisher

Materials Research Society

Abstract

Synroc-C containing 10wt% simulated PW-4b-D HLW including 0.62 wt% 239Pu was subjected to MCC-1 type leach tests at 70°C in deionised water, silicate and carbonate leachates for 53 d and deionised water for 2472 d. The normalised total (i.e. unfiltered leachate + vessel wall) Pu leach rates in deionised water, silicate and carbonate leachates for periods up to 53 d were found to be of the order of 10-5, 10-4 and 10-4 g m-2 d-1 respectively. After 2472 d, the differential, normalised, Pu leach rate in deionised water dropped to ∼5 × 10-6 (total) and ∼5 × 10-8 (solution - after filtration through a 1000NMW filter) g m-2 d-1. SEM and AEM were used to characterise our starting material and investigate the secondary phases on the surfaces of leached Synroc-C discs. Calculated and measured normalised Pu leach rates are compared and the partitioning of Pu between zirconolite and perovskite is discussed. © Materials Research Society 1997

Description

Physical copy held by ANSTO at DDC: 621.4838/31. Abstract also available online at https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-465-1267

Keywords

Synroc process, Leaching, Plutonium, Water, Silicates, Zirconolite, Nuclear weapons

Citation

Smith, K. L., Lumpkin, G. R., Blackford, M. G., Hambley, M., Arthur Day, R., Hart, K. P., & Jostsons, A. (1996). Characterization and leaching behavior of plutonium-bearing Synroc-C. Paper presented to the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XX, Symposium held December 2-6, 1996, Boston, Massachachuetts, U. S. A. In Gray, W. J. & Triay, I. R. (Eds.), Material Research Society Symposium Proceedings, Symposium held 2-6 December, 1996, Boston, Massachusetts, U. S. A., (Vol. 465, pp. 1267-1272).