Radiation effects in crystalline ceramics for the immobilization of high-level nuclear waste and plutonium

1998 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1434-1484 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Weber ◽  
R. C. Ewing ◽  
C. R. A. Catlow ◽  
T. Diaz de la Rubia ◽  
L. W. Hobbs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Radiation Effects ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Microstructure Development ◽  
Release Rates ◽  
Radiation Induced ◽  
High Level Nuclear Waste ◽  
High Level ◽  
Damage Processes

This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the state-of-knowledge of radiation effects in crystalline ceramics that may be used for the immobilization of high-level nuclear waste and plutonium. The current understanding of radiation damage processes, defect generation, microstructure development, theoretical methods, and experimental methods are reviewed. Fundamental scientific and technological issues that offer opportunities for research are identified. The most important issue is the need for an understanding of the radiation-induced structural changes at the atomic, microscopic, and macroscopic levels, and the effect of these changes on the release rates of radionuclides during corrosion.

scholarly journals Radiation Effects in Glasses Used for Immobilization of High-level Waste and Plutonium Disposition

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1948-1978 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Weber ◽  
Rodney C. Ewing ◽  
C. Austen Angell ◽  
George W. Arnold ◽  
Alastair N. Cormack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Radiation Effects ◽  
Experimental Methods ◽  
Current Status ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Microstructure Development ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
High Level Nuclear Waste ◽  
High Level ◽  
Damage Processes

This paper is a comprehensive review of the state-of-knowledge in the field of radiation effects in glasses that are to be used for the immobilization of high-level nuclear waste and plutonium disposition. The current status and issues in the area of radiation damage processes, defect generation, microstructure development, theoretical methods and experimental methods are reviewed. Questions of fundamental and technological interest that offer opportunities for research are identified.

Radiation Effects in Silicate Glasses - A Review

1988 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ned E. Bibler ◽  
David G. Howitt
Keyword(s):  
Fiber Optics ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Radiation Effects ◽  
Alpha Particles ◽  
Phase Changes ◽  
Silicate Glasses ◽  
Atomic Displacements ◽  
High Level Nuclear Waste ◽  
Nuclear Waste Immobilization ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACTThe study of radiation effects in complex silicate glasses has received renewed attention because of their use in special applications such as high level nuclear waste immobilization and fiber optics. Radiation changes the properties of these glasses by altering their electronic and atomic configurations. These alterations or defects may cause dilatations or microscopic phase changes along with absorption centers that limit the optical application of the glasses. Atomic displacements induced in the already disordered structure of the glasses may affect their use where heavy irradiating particles such as alpha particles, alpha recoils, fission fragments, or accelerated ions are present. Large changes (up to 1%) in density may result. In some cases the radiation damage may be severe enough to affect the durability of the glass in aqueous solutions.In this paper, we review the literature concerning radiation effects on density, durability, stored energy, microstructure and optical properties of silicate glasses. Both simple glasses and complex glasses used for immobilization of nuclear waste are considered.

Backfill Modification Using Geochemical Principles to Optimize High Level Nuclear Waste Isolation in a Geological Repository

1991 ◽  
Vol 257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Langmuir ◽  
Michael J. Apted
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Diffusion Rate ◽  
Release Rates ◽  
Retardation Coefficient ◽  
Geological Repository ◽  
High Level Nuclear Waste ◽  
Peak Release ◽  
High Level ◽  
Mineral Additives ◽  
Adjacent Rock

ABSTRACTThe clay backfill that will surround a buried high level nuclear waste package in most national repository programs, could be modified to play a greater role as a barrier to radionuclide (RN) releases. The RN steady state release (Mb) rate from a clay backfill to adjacent rock is directly proportional to backfill porosity (ε), RN diffusion rate In the backfill (Ds), and RN solubility at the waste form surface (C*), and Inversely proportional to RN half-life (λ) and RN retardation coefficient (R) in the backfill [1]. We propose ways to reduce ε, Ds and C* and Increase R for important radionuclides, mostly through the addition of reactive minerals to the backfill. Silica, calcite and anhydrite may be added to precipitate and clog porosity. Increased backfill compaction similarly reducesε, Ds and Mb for all the RN's. Strongly sorbent phases can be added to selectively adsorb both cationic and anionic RN's (e.g. 1–129). However, adsorption will not Importantly reduce peak release rates of most long-lived RN's. The backfill can be poised at reducing Eh's with mineral additives to lower Ds and so immobilize radioisotopes of NI, Np, Pa, Pu, Se, Tc and U. Minerals of stable or more stable isotopes of Cs, NI, Se, Sn and U can be added to lower Ds values of the RN's and to coprecipitate them in solid solution. Phosphorite-apatites, which are known to have high selectivities for rare earths and RN's, may be added to coprecipitate Am, Np, Pu, Sr, Th and U.

Modeling Radiation-Induced Alteration of the Network Structure of Alkali Borosilicate High-level Waste Glass

2011 ◽  
Vol 1298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Dewan ◽  
Linn W. Hobbs ◽  
Jean-Marc Delaye
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Glass Network ◽  
Waste Glass ◽  
Radiation Environment ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Initial Kinetic Energy ◽  
Local Cluster ◽  
Radiation Induced ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACTHigh-level nuclear waste glasses are subject to radiation-induced degradation over very long time scales. In such glasses, bond-breakage and atom displacements occur by both radiolysis (principally from energetic beta-decay electrons) and ballistic mechanisms involving collision cascades initiated by energetic fission nuclei and recoil of alpha-emitting actinide nuclei [1]. This study investigates collision-cascade-induced alteration of the glass network in a simplified sodium borosilicate model nuclear waste glass, using molecular dynamics (MD) codes and efficient topological assessment algorithms. Collision cascades were initiated ballistically (4 keV initial kinetic energy, dissipated elastically) and carried out using MD codes incorporating both two-body Buckingham and three-body Stillinger-Weber potentials verified in the GULP atomistic simulation package. Network topologies of the initial and resulting altered glass structures were determined by enumerating the primitive-ring-based local cluster atom complement at each atom site. The topological description is seen to provide a revealing assessment of network structural changes in the simulated radiation environment that can be potentially related to observable macroscopic changes, such as swelling, viscosity changes, and radiation-induced devitrification.

The Effect of γ-radiation on Mechanical Properties of Model UK Nuclear Waste Glasses

2013 ◽  
Vol 1518 ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen J. McGann ◽  
Amy S. Gandy ◽  
Paul A. Bingham ◽  
Russell J. Hand ◽  
Neil C. Hyatt
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Transition Metal Ions ◽  
Indentation Hardness ◽  
Γ Irradiation ◽  
Γ Radiation ◽  
Radiation Induced ◽  
High Level Nuclear Waste ◽  
High Level ◽  
Induced Changes

ABSTRACTThe effect of γ-radiation on the mechanical properties of model UK intermediate and high level nuclear waste glasses was studied up to a dose of 8 MGy. It was determined that γ-irradiation up to this dose had no measurable effect upon the Young’s modulus, shear modulus, Poisson’s ratio, indentation hardness, or indentation fracture toughness. The absence of measurable radiation induced changes in mechanical properties was attributed to redox mediated healing of electron-hole pairs generated by γ-irradiation by multivalent transition metal ions, in particular the Fe3+ - Fe2+ couple.

Transmutation of high-level nuclear waste by means of accelerator driven system

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Aït Abderrahim ◽  
Didier De Bruyn ◽  
Gert Van den Eynde ◽  
Sidney Michiels
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Driven System ◽  
High Level Nuclear Waste ◽  
Accelerator Driven System ◽  
High Level
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