A coupled mechanical–chemical stability analysis for a low activity waste disposal facility at the Hanford site

• Published in: Computers & structures Vol. 79; no. 16; pp. 1503 - 1516
• Main Authors: Nozaki, A, McGrail, B.P, Fayer, M.J, Saripalli, K.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2001
• Subjects: Corrosion; Glass; Mechanical instability; Modeling; Performance assessment; USA, Hanford Site; Waste disposal; Mechanical instability; Corrosion; Waste disposal; Modeling; Performance assessment; Glass
• ISSN: 0045-7949; 1879-2243
• DOI: 10.1016/S0045-7949(01)00028-1

The steel container and vitrified waste materials that comprise waste packages planned for subsurface disposal of low-activity wastes at Hanford are subject to corrosion processes that generate a net volumetric expansion. Stress state and deformation in an idealized disposal system were modeled as a function of expansion pressure. Potential expansion pressures from glass and steel corrosion product formation were estimated and compared with the computed critical inner pressures (
P
c) required to induce mechanical instability. Even a moderate degree of steel corrosion was found to generate internal pressures significantly above
P
c. However, a kinetics analysis suggests that between 270 and 2500 years would be required before the
P
c is exceeded.