Gas generation from radiolytic attack of TRU-contaminated hydrogenous waste

Abstract

In 1970, the Waste Management and Transportation Division of the Atomic Energy Commission ordered a segregation of transuianic (TRU)contaminated solid wastes. Those below a contamination level of 10 nCi/g could still be buried; those above had to be stored retrievably for 20yr. The possibility thet alpha-radiolysis of hydrogenous materials might produce toxic, corrosive, and flammable gases in retrievably stored waste prompted an investigation of gas identities and generation rates in the laboratory and field. Typical waste mixtures were synthesized and contaminated for laboratory experiments, and drums of actual TRU-contaminated waste were instrumented for field testing. Several levels of contamination were studied, as well as pressure, temperature, and moisture effects. G(gas) values were determined for various waste matrices, and degradation products were examined. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Matrix

Gas generation from transuranic waste degradation: data summary and interpretation

“…The generation of gases from the degradation of existing and potential forms of defense-related transuranic wastes has been the subject of extensive experimental investigations (1,2,3,4,5,6) over the past two to four years. This area of study, particularly under environmental conditions to be expected for deep geologic terminal isolation, is a major segment of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Transuranic (TRU) Waste Experimental Characterization Program.…”

“…Radiolytic degradation was initially assum.ed by the waste management community to have the greatest potential for generating significant quantities of gas. It has received the greatest amount of experimental attention (2,3,4,5,6) for this reason, and consequently, accounts for the largest body of data. Withm approximately the last SIX months, it has become evident (7) that the bacterial degradation of organic waste matrices has a significantly greater potential for gas generation.…”

“…The A-412 program (3) has been m progress for over four years and IS sponsored by the waste management division (H-7) of LASL. Many of the data of this program, laboratory and field, corroborate similar work of the S-124 program.…”

Hydrogen generation in tru waste transportation packages

“…The fraction of alpha particle energy escaping from PuO2 particles as a function of particle radius and initial energy has been calculated (NRC Docket No. 71-9218, Aug. 11, 1999;VanDevender 1984;Cowell 1984;Ziegler et al 1985).…”

TRUPACT-II Hydrogen G-Valve Program Test Plan

“…From experimental and empirical results available prior to the MDP, it was known that matrix depletion decreases the rate of hydrogen gas generation inside CH TRU waste containers (Kazanjian 1976;Kosiewicz 1981;Zerwekh 1979;Zerwekh and Warren 1986;Zerwekh et al 1993;and Smith et al 1997). Matrix depletion is the reduction in the radiolytic gas generation potential, or effective G-value, of a target material.…”