Irradiated Beryllium Disposal Workshop, Idaho Falls, ID, May 29-30, 2002

Abstract

In 2001, while performing routine radioactive decay heat rate calculations for beryllium reflector blocks for the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), it became evident that there may be sufficient concentrations of transuranic isotopes to require classification of this irradiated beryllium as transuranic waste. Measurements on samples from ATR reflector blocks and further calculations confirmed that for reflector blocks and outer shim control cylinders now in the ATR canal, transuranic activities are about five times the threshold for classification. That situation implies that there is no apparent disposal pathway for this material. The problem is not unique to the ATR. The High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Missouri University Research Reactor at Columbia, Missouri and other reactors abroad must also deal with this issue. A workshop was held in Idaho Falls Idaho on May 29-30, 2002 to acquaint stakeholders with these findings and consider a path forward in resolving the issues attendant to disposition of irradiated material. Among the findings from this workshop were (1) there is a real potential for the US to be dependent on foreign sources for metallic beryllium within about a decade; (2) there is a need for a national policy on beryllium utilization and disposition and for a beryllium coordinating committee to be assembled to provide guidance on that policy; (3) it appears it will be difficult to dispose of this material at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico due to issues of Defense classification, facility radioactivity inventory limits, and transportation to WIPP; (4) there is a need for a funded DOE program to seek resolution of these issues including research on processing techniques that may make this waste acceptable in an existing disposal pathway or allow for its recycle.

Thermodynamic description of Be(II) solubility and hydrolysis in acidic to hyperalkaline NaCl and KCl solutions

“…The accumulation of these gases leads to the swelling of beryllium and to the alteration of its mechanical properties. For this reason, irradiated beryllium components need to be replaced and disposed of regularly (Beeston, 1970;Longhurst et al, 2003;Chandler et al, 2009). Beryllium is the first element in the second group of the periodic table . It holds an electronic configuration [He] 2s 2 , and accordingly it is mainly found as Be(II).…”

Beryllium solubility and hydrolysis in dilute to concentrated CaCl2 solutions: thermodynamic description in cementitious systems

“…During the reactor operation, 9 Be undergoes (n, 2n) and (n, α) nuclear reactions resulting in the generation of large quantities of 4 He, 3 He and 3 H. This leads to the swelling of beryllium components with the corresponding alteration of their mechanical properties. The disposal of these components results in specific streams of nuclear waste containing a significant inventory of chemotoxic beryllium (Beeston, 1970;Longhurst et al, 2003;Chandler et al, 2009).…”