Determination of the secondary phases at the acidic LNW disposal

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe migration behavior of the long-lived actinides was studied under the conditions of the deep disposal of the acidic liquid nuclear waste (LNW). Composition of LNW varies significantly including acidic technological wastes (pH ∼2.4), which consist of sodium nitrate, acetic acid, corrosion products (Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Al), fission products and actinides. Corrosion products tend to precipitate under the LNW disposal conditions that favor forming of the phases with high sorption capacity towards actinides. Sands of reservoir bed have their own initial sorbent surfaces besides new secondary phases that have formed as a result of interaction with acidic LNW. The nearest to the injection well conditions are gradually changing from pH ∼2.4 till neutral values due to the dilution by groundwater with formation of new precipitated phases of corrosion products. The solid phases characterization is a necessary step on the path of knowledge of migration behavior of actinides. The secondary phases of both corrosion products and sands of reservoir bed under LNW disposal conditions were characterized using XRD, SEM and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The recent results of the analyses of the behavior of actinides (Pu. U, Np, Am) under the conditions of the injection of the acid LNW are presented in the paper.