Improving Geochemical Source-term Models though an Increased Understanding of the Structure, Reactivity, and Dynamics of Nuclear Waste Form Interfaces
EMSL Project ID
47580
Abstract
EMSL resources are requested to enable an international team of collaborators to solve fundamental problems in interfacial glass corrosion chemistry. With the recent dismissal of Yucca Mountain as a national nuclear waste repository and increasing international interest on developing the recycling of used nuclear fuel, there is a pressing need to reevaluate the current methods of processing nuclear waste. The preferred method for high-level waste (HLW) disposition is vitrification: incorporating radioactive cations directly into the structure of a glass. This results in a highly durable waste product. However, the current US models for the corrosion of high level waste (HLW) glasses were developed for a mixed-waste repository system and are highly conservative. An international collaboration (USA, UK, France, Japan, and Belgium) was recently developed to investigate unresolved issues in glass corrosion phenomena, mechanisms, and processes. Limited understanding in this area has limited the performance of the best corrosion models to date. Novel research projects are ongoing in this area involving isotopic tagging experiments, the study of ancient man-made and natural analogue materials, and the advanced characterization of internationally supplied long-term corrosion samples. The complete realization of these experiments requires the unique capabilities of EMSL to couple state-of-the-art interfacial analysis with theory and advanced computational modeling. These experiments have already led to important revisions to corrosion theory as well as significant public and media attention. The goal now is to provide data that will conclusively determine the key geochemical processes behind long-term waste glass corrosion and improve the confidence and accuracy of the source term for radionuclide fate and transport models. With a strong, consensus corrosion model, the extraordinary durability of waste glasses can be leveraged for efficient disposal, representing a real opportunity to improve long-term international nuclear waste storage.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2012-10-01
End Date
2014-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Team Members