Radiation Effects on Materials in the Near-Field of a Nuclear Waste Repository

Wang, Lu-Min ; Ewing, Rodney C.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

关键词: Research Programs;    Decay;    12 Management Of Radioactive Wastes, And Non-Radioactive Wastes From Nuclear Facilities;    Us Doe;    Actinides;   

DOI  :  10.2172/827068
RP-ID  :  EMSP-54691--2000
RP-ID  :  FG07-97ER45652
RP-ID  :  827068

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Site restoration activities at US DOE facilities and the permanent disposal of nuclear waste generated at DOE facilities require working with and within various types and levels of radiation fields. Once the nuclear waste is incorporated into a final form, radioactive decay will decrease the radiation field over geologic time scales, but the alpha-decay dose for these solids will still reach values as high as 1018 alpha-decay events/gm in periods as short as 1,000 years. This dose is well within the range for which important chemical (e.g., increased leach rate) and physical (e.g., volume expansion) changes may occur in crystalline ceramics. Release and sorption of long-lived actinides can also provide a radiation exposure to backfill materials, and changes in important retardation properties (e.g., cation exchange capacity) may occur. The objective of this research program has been to evaluate the long-term radiation effects in materials used in processing high-level nuclear waste or materials in the near-field of a nuclear waste repository.