Alpha-Decay Radiation Damage Study of a Glass-Bonded Sodalite Ceramicwaste form

Abstract

Effects of alpha decay on the ceramic waste form used to immobilize fission products and actinides accumulated from electrometallurgical treatment of Department of Energy metallic spent nuclear fuel is being studied. This involved the preparation of a surrogate ceramic waste form containing two-weight percent plutonium-238 and monitoring changes to the waste form resulting from alpha-decay damage. The phase assembly of the ceramic waste form consists of glass-bonded sodalite with small quantities of nepheline, halite and plutonium oxide . The waste form has been monitored for three years and has acquired an internal alpha-decay dose of 1x 10 18