Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-b4m5d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-15T10:12:39.287Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Sorption of Thorium and Americium onto Fresh and Degraded Ordinary Portland Cement and onto Green Tuff

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Mark M. Cowper ,
Sarah Baker ,
Adam V. Chambers ,
Timothy G. Heath ,
Morihiro Mihara  and
Stephen J. Williams
Mark M. Cowper
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Walton House, Birchwood Park, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 6AT, U.K.
Sarah Baker
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Walton House, Birchwood Park, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 6AT, U.K.
Adam V. Chambers
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Building 150, Harwell International Business Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RA, U.K.
Timothy G. Heath
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Building 150, Harwell International Business Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RA, U.K.
Morihiro Mihara
Affiliation:
Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai-Mura, Naka-Gun, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan
Stephen J. Williams
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Building 150, Harwell International Business Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RA, U.K.
Get access

Abstract

The sorption of thorium and americium has been measured onto crushed samples of freshordinary Portland cement (OPC), degraded OPC (DOPC) and green tuff under a range of aqueous conditions as part of research into the disposal of TRU waste in Japan. Sorption onto OPC was measured from deionised water,3 mol dm−3 sodium nitrate solution and simulated seawater, and onto DOPC from demineralised water; all solutions were pre-equilibrated with the relevant cement. Sorption onto tuff was measured from pre-equilibrated deionised water, 3 mol dm−3 sodium nitrate solution, simulated seawater, OPC leachate and 1 mol dm−3 ammonium hydroxide solution. RD values were determined from the amount of thorium or americium remaining in solution after centrifugation, 0.45 μm filtration and 10,000 nominal molecular weight cut-off (NMWCO) filtration. Centrifugation gave lower RD values than filtration. MeanRD values for sorption onto OPC and DOPC were in the range 4 × 104 to ≥1 × 106 cm3g−1 for thorium, and 3 ×103 to ≥1 × 105 cm3g−1 for americium, after filtration through 10,000 NMWCO filters. Mean RD values for thorium sorption onto tuff increased from2 × 103 cm3g−1 in tuff-equilibrated deionised water, to ≥ 4 × 106 cm3g−1 from ammonium hydroxide solution (10,000 NMWCO-filtration). A similar trend was seen for10,000 NMWCO-iltered americium samples where mean RD values increased from 4 × 103 cm3g−1 in deionised water to 1 × 105 cm3g−1 in ammonium hydroxide solution.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 932: Symposium – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXIX , 2006 , 18.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Progress Report on Disposal Concept for TRU Waste in Japan, TRU Coordination Office, Japan Nuclear Fuel Cycle Development Institute / The Federation of Electric Power Companies, JNC TY1400 2000-002, TRU TR-2000-02, March 2000.Google Scholar
2. Mihara, M., Osawa, T., Ooi, T., Fujita, H., Negishi, K., Yokozeki, K. and Watanabe, K., A Study on Evolution of Long-term Hydraulic Condition in Near-field for TRU Waste Disposal System (6) — Evolution and Changes of Hydraulic and Mechanical Properties of Cement Paste, (in Japanese) 2003 Fall Meeting of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, p.580, 2003.Google Scholar
3. Ryan, J.L. and Rai, D., Inorganic Chemistry 26, 4140 (1987).Google Scholar
4. Rai, D., Felmy, A.R., Moore, D.A., and Mason, M.J., Scientific Basis Nuclear Waste Management XVIII Part 2, ed. Murakami, T. and Ewing, R.C., 1143 (1995)Google Scholar
5. Thomason, H.P. and Williams, S.J., Near-field Solubility Studies, Nirex Report NSS/R128, 1992 Google Scholar
6. Wierczinski, B., Helfer, S., Ochs, M. and Skarnemark, G., J. Alloys and Compounds 271–273, 272 (1998).Google Scholar
7. Rai, D., Sickert, R.G., Moore, D.A. and Ryan, J.L., Radiochimica Acta 33, 201 (1983).Google Scholar
8. Buppelmann, K., Magirius, S., Lierse, Ch. and Kim, J.I., Journal of the Less-Common Metals 122, 329 (1986).Google Scholar
9. Stadler, S. and Kim, J.I., Radiochimica Acta 44/45, 39 (1988).Google Scholar
10. Rai, D., Radiochimica Acta 35, 97 (1984).Google Scholar
11. Greenfield, B.F., Hurdus, M.H., Spindler, M.W. and Thomason, H.P., The Effects of the Products of the Anaerobic Degradation of Cellulose on the Solubility and Sorption of Radioelements, Nirex Report NSS/R376, 1998.Google Scholar
12. Allard, B., Eliasson, L., Hoglund, S. and Andersson, K., Sorption of Cs, I and the Actinides in Concrete Systems, SKB Technical Report SKB-TR 84-15, 1984.Google Scholar
13. Experimental Measurements and Integrated Modelling Studies of Actinide Sorption onto Cement, CRIEPI Report T02023, 2003.Google Scholar
14. Bayliss, S., McCrohon, R., Oliver, P., Pilkington, N.J. and Thomason, H.P., Near-field Sorption Studies: January 1989 to June 1991, Nirex Report NSS/R277, 1996.Google Scholar
15. Barrier Performance of Cements and Concretes in Nuclear Waste Repositories. European Commission Report EUR 19780, ed. Glasser, F.P. (2001).Google Scholar