Multicomponent Systems Tests on Used Fuel and Fuel Recycle Waste Glass at 200 °C

Abstract

AbstractExperiments were performed at 200 °C and 8.5 MPa on used fuel and a borosilicate waste glass in contact with clay, container metals, groundwater and granite selected as reference materials in the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program. The experimental design considered five parameters that determine a fractional factorial design 25-1. The parameters varied were: waste form (used fuel or Moly 99“W” glass), cation exchange capacity of the clay (calcium bentonite, 1360 meq/kg or illite, 160 meq/kg), ionic strength of the groundwater (Standard Canadian Shield Saline Solution, SCSSS, 1.4 mol/L or granitic groundwater GGW, 1 × 10−3 mol/L), surface area to volume ratio (SA/V) (120 or 12 m−1), and container material 3Inconel 625 or Ticode 12). The results show that (i) maximum release of 137Cs from used fuel and waste glass occurs in the presence of illite and GGW, (ii) maximum releases of 90Sr and the actinides from used fuel occur in the presence of bentonite and SCSSS, and (iii) maximum release of 90Sr from the waste glass occurs in the presence of illite and GGW.