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An Evaluation of the Electrometallurgical Approach for Treatment of Excess Weapons Plutonium (1996) / Chapter Skim
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4 Waste Forms and Characteristics
Pages 22-26

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From page 22...
... ZEOLITE WASTE FORM Physical Characteristics As discussed in Chapter 3, a molten chloride stream containing chlorides of plutonium, residual uranium, fission products other than noble metals, and transuranic elements would be produced by the simultaneous electrometallurgical treatment of excess weapons plutonium, DOE spent nuclear fuel, and in some cases additional i37Cs now in storage at Hanford. The resulting molten chloride stream would be passed though successive columns of salt-loaded synthetic LTA zeolite for essentially complete (~99.9°/O)
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From page 23...
... Work has begun on ion exchange column tests using simulated waste. These studies must ultimately provide sufficient engineering data to determine operable ranges of column configuration, ion exchange materials, and ion exchange particle dimensions, as well as effective operating conditions.
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From page 24...
... The degree of risk associated with this proposed waste form is unknown relative to the technical risk associated with storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel and vitrified defense wastes, because the GBZ waste foe has not yet been developed and tested. Criticality concerns related to the long-term post-closure repository perfo~-~ance of the GBZ waste form cannot be addressed readily, because the exact composition of the waste forms is still undetermined.
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From page 25...
... Evaluation of heat generation rates and of potential criticality is also lacking at this time for plutonium-Ioaded metal matrices. Preliminary, short-term waste-form tests reportedly show a corrosion rate of~O.02 g/m2/6ay for the cladding metal waste forms at ambient temperature in contact with deionized water.
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From page 26...
... WASTE FORMS: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS In the area of radioelement loading of zeolite columns, particular emphasis should be given to . establishing the range of parameters, with respect to zeolite type, configuration, and operating conditions, that give satisfactory column performance, and · determining the thermal, chemical, mechanical, and radiological stability of zeolite under expected column loading conditions.
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Key Terms

  • waste forms
  • gbz waste
  • weapons plutonium
  • zeolite waste
  • excess weapons

  • ion exchange
  • fission products
  • spent nuclear
  • nuclear fuel
  • form performance

  • metal waste
  • isostatic pressing
  • borosilicate glass
  • hot isostatic
  • geologic disposal

  • form testing
  • electrometallurgical technique
  • residual uranium
  • risk associated
  • metal fission

  • spent fuel
  • simulated waste
  • using simulated
  • transuranic elements
  • isolation barriers

  • release rate
  • electrometallurgical approach
  • doe spent
  • molten salt
  • cladding metal


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