scholarly journals Plutonium-Doped Monazite and Other Orthophosphates—Thermodynamics and Experimental Data on Long-Term Behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1203
Author(s):  
Polina Mikhailova ◽  
Boris Burakov ◽  
Nikolai Eremin ◽  
Alexei Averin ◽  
Andrey Shiryaev

The paper consists of two main parts: a microscopic and spectroscopic investigation of the single crystal of 17-year-old 238Pu-doped Eu-monazite, and a theoretical calculation of the properties of several structural types of orthophosphates. It is shown that actinide-doped monazite is prone to the formation of mechanically weak, poorly crystalline crust, presumably consisting of rhabdophane. Its formation is likely promoted by the formation of peroxides and, potentially, acidic compounds, due to the radiolysis of atmospheric moisture. The calculations of mixing the enthalpies and Gibbs energies of binary solid solutions of Pu and rare earth element (REE) phosphates that were performed for the principal structural types—monazite, xenotime, rhabdophane—show that, in the case of light REEs, the plutonium admixture is preferentially redistributed into the rhabdophane. This process strongly affects the behavior of actinides, leached from a monazite-based waste form. The applications of these results for the development of actinide waste forms are discussed. The current data on the behavior of real actinide-doped monazite suggest that this type of ceramic waste form is not very resistant, even in relatively short time periods.

1986 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney C. Ewing ◽  
Michael J. Jercinovic

AbstractOne of the unique and scientifically most difficult aspects of nuclear waste isolation is the extrapolation ofshot-term laboratory data (hours to years) to the long time periods (103-105 years) required by regulatory agencies for performance assessment. The direct verification of these extrapolations is not possible, but methods must be developed to demonstrate compliance with government regulations and to satisfy the lay public that there is a demonstrable and reasonable basis for accepting the long-term extrapolations. Natural analogues of both the repository environment (e.g. radionuclide migration at Oklo) and nuclear waste form behavior (e.g. alteration of basaltic glasses and radiation damage in minerals) have been used to demonstrate the long-term behavior of large scale geologic systems and, on a smaller scale, waste form durability. This paper reviews the use of natural analogues to predict the long-term behavior of nuclear waste form glasses. Particular emphasis is placed on the inherent limitations of any conclusions that are based on “proof” by analogy. An example -- corrosion of borosilicate glass -- is discussed in detail with specific attention to the proper and successful use of natural analogues (basaltic glass) in understanding the long-term corrosion behavior of borosilicate glass.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 2389-2398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Kao ◽  
Xun Jiang ◽  
Liming Li ◽  
James H. Trammell ◽  
Guang J. Zhang ◽  
...  

Precipitation and column water vapor data from 13 CMIP5 models and observational datasets are used to analyze atmospheric moisture recycling rate from 1988 to 2008. The comparisons between observations and model simulations suggest that most CMIP5 models capture two main characteristics of the recycling rate: 1) long-term decreasing trend of the global-average maritime recycling rate (atmospheric recycling rate over ocean within 60°S–60°N) and 2) dominant spatial patterns of the temporal variations of the recycling rate (i.e., increasing in the intertropical convergence zone and decreasing in subtropical regions). All models, except one, successfully simulate not only the long-term trend but also the interannual variability of column water vapor. The simulations of precipitation are relatively poor, especially over the relatively short time scales, which lead to the discrepancy of the recycling rate between observations and the CMIP5 models. Comparisons of spatial patterns also suggest that the CMIP5 models simulate column water vapor better than precipitation. The comparative studies indicate the scope of improvement in the simulations of precipitation, especially for the relatively short-time-scale variations, to better simulate the recycling rate of atmospheric moisture, an important indicator of climate change.


2002 ◽  
Vol 757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Loida ◽  
Bernhard Kienzler ◽  
Horst Geckeis

ABSTRACTWith respect to the assessment of the long-term behavior of the waste form spent fuel it is of high importance to study the fuel alteration in contact with groundwater and near field materials. The aim of this work is to evaluate the impact of candidate backfill materials hydroxylapatite and magnetite on the overall corrosion behavior of this waste form in salt brine; both materials are used in corrosion tests together with spent fuel. The instant releases and the matrix dissolution rates appear to be similar in presence and in absence of any backfill material under study. However, Am,Np,Pu,U and Sr are retained at different ratios on the hydroxylapatite, on the magnetite and on the fuel sample, indicating possibly the formation of different radionuclide containing new solid phases.


1999 ◽  
Vol 608 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.A. Sobolev ◽  
A.S. Barinov ◽  
M.I. Ojovan ◽  
N.V. Ojovan ◽  
I.V. Startceva ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman V. Bogdanov ◽  
Yuri F. Batrakov ◽  
Elena V. Puchkova ◽  
Andrey S. Sergeev ◽  
Boris E. Burakov

ABSTRACTAt present, crystalline ceramic based on titanate pyrochlore, (Ca,Gd,Hf,Pu,U)2Ti2O7, is considered as the US candidate waste form for the immobilization of weapons grade plutonium. Naturally occuring U-bearing minerals with pyrochlore-type structure: hatchettolite, betafite, and ellsworthite, were studied in orders to understand long-term radiation damage effects in Pu ceramic waste forms. Chemical shifts (δ) of U(Lδ1)– and U(Lβ1) – X-ray emission lines were measured by X-ray spectrometry. Calculations were performed on the basis of a two-dimensional δLá1- and δLδ1- correlation diagram. It was shown that 100% of uranium in hatchettolite and, probably, 95-100% of uranium in betafite are in the form of (UO2)2+. formal calculation shows that in ellsworthite only 20% of uranium is in the form of U4+ and 80% of the rest is in the forms of U5+ and U6+. The conversion of the initial U4+ ion originally occurring in the pyrochlore structure of natural minerals to (UO2)2+ due to metamict decay causes a significant increase in uranium mobility.


1994 ◽  
Vol 33 (4I) ◽  
pp. 327-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G. Lipsey

I am honoured to be invited to give this lecture before so distinguished an audience of development economists. For the last 21/2 years I have been director of a project financed by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and composed of a group of scholars from Canada, the United States, and Israel.I Our brief is to study the determinants of long term economic growth. Although our primary focus is on advanced industrial countries such as my own, some of us have come to the conclusion that there is more common ground between developed and developing countries than we might have first thought. I am, however, no expert on development economics so I must let you decide how much of what I say is applicable to economies such as your own. Today, I will discuss some of the grand themes that have arisen in my studies with our group. In the short time available, I can only allude to how these themes are rooted in our more detailed studies. In doing this, I must hasten to add that I speak for myself alone; our group has no corporate view other than the sum of our individual, and very individualistic, views.


2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 58-69
Author(s):  
Marlene Kim

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the United States face problems of discrimination, the glass ceiling, and very high long-term unemployment rates. As a diverse population, although some Asian Americans are more successful than average, others, like those from Southeast Asia and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs), work in low-paying jobs and suffer from high poverty rates, high unemployment rates, and low earnings. Collecting more detailed and additional data from employers, oversampling AAPIs in current data sets, making administrative data available to researchers, providing more resources for research on AAPIs, and enforcing nondiscrimination laws and affirmative action mandates would assist this population.


1984 ◽  
Vol 16 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 623-633
Author(s):  
M Loxham ◽  
F Weststrate

It is generally agreed that both the landfill option, or the civil techniques option for the final disposal of contaminated harbour sludge involves the isolation of the sludge from the environment. For short time scales, engineered barriers such as a bentonite screen, plastic sheets, pumping strategies etc. can be used. However for long time scales the effectiveness of such measures cannot be counted upon. It is thus necessary to be able to predict the long term environmenttal spread of contaminants from a mature landfill. A model is presented that considers diffusion and adsorption in the landfill site and convection and adsorption in the underlaying aquifer. From a parameter analysis starting form practical values it is shown that the adsorption behaviour and the molecular diffusion coefficient of the sludge, are the key parameters involved in the near field. The dilution effects of the far field migration patterns are also illustrated.


Author(s):  
Anders Raustorp ◽  
Andreas Fröberg

Background: The objectives of this study were to explore the effect of time, long-term tracking, and the proportion of objectively measured physical activity (PA) from early adolescence to the mid-thirties. Methods: PA was measured as mean steps per day (SPD) with pedometers during 2000 (T1), 2003 (T2), 2005 (T3), 2010 (T4), 2016 (T5) and 2020 (T6). Data from 64 participants (n = 32 males) were analysed from their early adolescence (T1) to their mid-thirties (T6). Results: SPD decreased in the total sample and among males and females (all, p < 0.001). Males took more mean SPD than females during T1 (p = 0.002), whereas females took more mean SPD during T2 (p = 0.009) and T6 (p = 0.008). Males’ mean SPD tracked between T1 and T2 (p = 0.021), T2 and T3 (p = 0.030), T3 and T4 (p = 0.015) and T4 and T5 (p = 0.003). Females’ mean SPD tracked between T3 and T4 (p = 0.024) and T5 and T6 (p < 0.001). In the total sample, more mean SPD were found on weekdays compared to weekend days at T3 (p = 0.017) and T5 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: SPD decreased between T1 and T6. Mean SPD tracked low-to-moderate in the short time span. From late adolescence to the mid-thirties, more mean SPD was observed during weekdays compared to weekend days.


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