Waste Solidification Program. Volume 5. Phosphate Glass Solidification Performance During First Radioactive Tests in Waste Solidification Engineering Prototypes.

Abstract

m o n s t r a t i o n r u n s i n WSEP a t t h e P a c i f i c Northwest L a b o r a t o r y . R a d i o a c t i v i t y p r o c e s s e d was i n c r e a s e d from350,000 c u r i e s i n t h e f i r s t r u n t o 2 , 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 c u r i e s i n t h e s i x t h r u n .The s e l f -g e n e r a t i n g h e a t r a t e w i t h i n e a c h r e c e i v e r w a s t e w i t h i n a f u l l 8-inch d i a m e t e r p o t r e p r e s e n t e d 1 . 3 t o n n e s of power r e a c t o r f u e l ( i r r a d i a t e d a t 2 0 , 0 0 0 MWd/tonne a t a power l e v e l of 1 5 MW/tonne) f o r s u l f a t e -c o n t a i n i n g PW-2 w a s t e and 0 . 6 4 t o n n e s f o r s u l f a t e -f r e e PW-1 w a s t e . High l e v e l aqueous r a d i o a c t i v e w a s t e was p r o c e s s e d a t o v e r a l l r a t e s of 9 . 4 t o 18 l i t e r s / h r .The e q u i v a l e n t p r o c e s s i n g r a t e s ranged from 0.20 t o 0 . 6 1 tonnes/day of o r i g i n a l f u e l . From 2 t o 1 0 % of t h e t o t a l ruthenium f e d t o t h e s o l i d i f i e r was v o l a t i l i z e d and/ore n t r a i n e d from t h e s o l i d i f i e r ; e n t r a i n m e n t of n o n v o l a t i l e s v a r i e d from 0 . 2 t o 0 . 3 % . V o l a t i l i z e d and e n t r a i n e d m a t e r i a l from t h e d e n i t r a t o r was f u r t h e r t r e a t e d i n t h e WSEP a u x i l i a r y p r o c e s s equipment, w h i l e t h e v o l a t i l i z e d and e n t r a i n e d m a t e r i a l from t h e m e l t e r was c o l l e c t e d i n a s e p a r a t e c o n d e n s a t e r e c e i v e r .iii s i g n i f i c a n t p r e s s u r e i n c r e a s e s w i t h i n t h e c o n t a i n e r s a f t e r t h e y were capped and welded.

Storage and disposal of radioactive waste as glass in canisters

“…The major development of phosphate waste glasses started at Brookhaven National Laboratory (Tuthill, 1967) and culminated in the manufacure of 11 canisters of radioactive phosphate waste glass during the Waste Solidification Engineering Prototypes (WSEP) program at PNL (McElroy, 1970;McElroy, 1971). The WSEP program showed that phosphate glass had several shortcomings when compared with silicate glasses.…”

Waste Solidification Program. Volume 6. Spray Solidification Performance During First Radioactive Tests in Waste Solidification Engineering Prototypes.

“…The tests were p a r t of a comprehensive program sponsored by t h e U. S. Atomic Energy Commission t o develop' s a f e r methods f o r p e r p e t u a l s t o r a g e o f h i g h l y r a d i o a c t i v e wastes. Other s o l i d i f i c a t i o n p r o c e s s e s i n v e s t i g a t e d i n t h e United S t a t e s a s p a r t of t h i s program i n c l u d e d t h e a g i t a t e d t r o u g h c a l c i n e r , ( 2 ) t h e ceramic sponge p r o c e s s , ( 3 ) t h e r o t a r y b a l l k i l n c a l c i n e r , ( 4 ) t h e f l u i d i z e d bed c a l c i n e r , ( 5 ) t h e p o t c a l c i n e r , (6) and t h e phosphate g l a s s p r o c e s s . ('I The l a t t e r t h r e e p r o c e s s e s have been developed u n t i l t h e y are I n t h e e a r l y developmental p e r i o d , a m e l t e r w a s c l o s ecoupled t o t h e r a d i a n t h e a t s p r a y c a l c i n e r .…”

“…The ( 5 ) where 3 % of t h e ruthenium p r e s e n t i n t h e e v a p o r a t o r accumulated i n t h e f r a c t i o n a t o r bottoms.…”