Incorporating technetium and other fission products from processed spent nuclear fuel into a metallic waste form

NUCL 131

Steven F. Frank, steven.frank@inl.gov, Pyroprocessing Technology, Idaho National Laboratory, PO Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, Dennis D. Keiser, dennis.keiser@inl.gov, Fuel Development, Idaho National Laboratory, PO Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, and Paula A. Hahn, paula.hahn@inl.gov, Chemical and Radiation Measurement, Idaho National Laboratory, PO Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415.
The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership proposal for advanced reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel would combine recovered fission-product technetium and other transition metal fission products with spent-fuel cladding to form a metallic, high-level waste form for geological disposal. This approach is similar to the production of a metal waste form produced during the treatment of spent, sodium-bonded fuel at the Idaho National Laboratory to consolidate spent-fuel cladding and immobilize specific fission products including technetium. Immobilization of technetium for disposal is of particular interest because of technetium's high fission yield, long half life and mobility in the environment in the oxidized state. This presentation describes the metal waste form produced at the INL, the behavior of technetium and other transition metal fission products in the waste form, and current efforts to determine the maximum loading of second-series transition metal fission products in the metal waste form.
 

Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP): Science and Technology for a Nuclear Future
1:30 PM-5:10 PM, Thursday, April 10, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Rm. 253, Oral

Division of Nuclear Chemistry & Technology

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008