Leaching of Degraded Preservative Matrices, Based on Sodium Aluminophosphate Glasses, for High-Level Wastes

• Published in: Atomic energy (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 123; no. 3; pp. 177 - 182
• Main Authors: Mal’kovskii, V. I., Yudintsev, S. V., Mokhov, A. V., Pervukhina, A. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-01-2018; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Actinides; CESIUM; Degradation; Energy industry; Geochemistry; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; Isotopes; Leaching; Levels; MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; MATRIX MATERIALS; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Physics; Nuclear power plants; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Preservatives; Radioactive wastes; RADIOISOTOPES; Rare earth elements; RARE EARTHS; Repositories; Simulators; SODIUM; SOLIDIFICATION; STABLE ISOTOPES; STRONTIUM; Strontium isotopes; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; URANIUM; VITRIFICATION; Wastes; WATER VAPOR
• ISSN: 1063-4258; 1573-8205
• DOI: 10.1007/s10512-018-0321-9

The chemical stability of vitrified high-level nuclear industry wastes in contact with water was studied experimentally in application to underground disposal of the wastes. The experiments were performed on samples of sodium aluminophosphate glass used in industrial solidification of wastes. Stable isotopes of strontium, cesium, uranium, and rare-earth elements as geochemical analogs of actinides were introduced into the glass to simulate radionuclides. It was observed that water vapor affects the degradation of the glass when vitrified wastes are placed in temporary repositories. It is shown that as a result of the degradation the rate of leaching of the glass in water increases significantly. In addition, a substantial portion of radionuclide simulators in colloidal form goes into the water medium.