Conditioning of High-Level Solid Radwaste in Nuclear Fuel Cycle. Review of Methods and Procedures. Part 2

O. V. Mykhailov, V. M. Bezmylov

Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, NAS of Ukraine, 36a, Kirova st., Chornobyl, 07270, Ukraine

DOI: doi.org/10.31717/2311-8253.24.1.5

Abstract

World experience in using industrially developed methods to condition radioactive waste (RAW) by way of their vitrification is addressed. The properties of waste forms produced in the countries with developed nuclear fuel cycle were analyzed using various glass formulations for further transportation, storage and burial of radioactive waste. It was stated that the use of borosilicate immobilizing matrices is recognized to be fully justified from the point of view of technological and economic advantages of their production, as well as the possibilities in ensuring the conditions for RAW safe temporary storage and transportation. In a number of phosphate glass modifications, lead-iron-phosphate formulations turned out to be the best from the point of view of provision of chemical resistance to the waste forms, as well as its resistance to devitrification during cooling and low corrosion impact on the equipment materials. The characteristics of vitrified radwaste and lava-like fuel-containing materials (LFCM) temporarily stored inside the Confinement complex (New Safe Confinement) and Shelter object of the SSE “Chornobyl NPP”, were compared. The conclusions were made regarding the influence of various factors on the properties of glass matrices and LFCM to retain hazardous radionuclides under the influence of various factors, including the self-radiation.

Keywords: NPP, radioactive waste, conditioning, immobilization, vitrification, glass, lava-like fuel-containing materials.

References

1. Donald I. W., Metcalfe B. L., Taylor R. N. J. (1997). The immobilization of high level radioactive wastes using ceramics and glasses. Review. J. Mat. Science, vol. 32, pp. 5851–5887.

2. Weber W. J., Ewing R. C., Angel C. A., Arnold G. W., et al. (1997). Radiation effects in glass used for immobilization of high-level waste and plutonium disposition. J. Mat. Research and Technology, vol. 12, no. 8, pp. 1946–1978.

3. Technological and organizational aspects of radioactive waste management. IAEA-TCS-27. Vienna: IAEA. 2005. 230 p. (in Rus.)

4. Caurant D., Loiseau P., Majérus O., Aubin- Chevaldonnet V., et al. (2009). Glasses, glass- ceramics and ceramics for immobilization of highly radioactive nuclear wastes. Paris: Nova Science Publishers, 445 p.

5. Ojovan M. I., Lee W. E. (2011). Glassy wasteforms for nuclear waste immobilization. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A., vol. 42A, pp. 837–851. doi.org/10.1007/s11661-010-0525-7.

6. Wang Li, Liang T. (2012). Ceramics for high level radioactive waste solidification. Journal of Advanced Ceramics, vol. 1 (3), pp. 194–203. doi.org/10.1007/s40145-012-0019-8.

7. Laverov N. P., Omel’yanenko B. I., Yudintsev S. V., Stefanovsky S. V., Nikonov B. S. (2013). Glasses for immobilization of low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Geology of Ore Deposits, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 71–95.

8. Selection of technical solution for the management of radioactive waste. IAEA-TECDOC-1817. Vienna: IAEA, 2017, 114 p.

9. Ojovan M. I., Hyatt N. C. (eds). (2019). Materials for nuclear waste immobilization. Basel: MDPI, 220 p. doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-03921-847-9.

10. Ojovan M. I., Petrov V. A., Yudintsev S. V. (2021). Glass crystalline materials as advanced nuclear wasteforms. Sustainability, vol. 13, p. 4117. doi.org/10.3390/ su13084117.

11. Sayenko S., Shkuropatenko V., Svitlychnyi Y., Zykova A., et al. (2023). Vitrification of a simulator of vat residues from liquid radioactive waste. East Eur. J. Phys, no. 1, pp. 94–101. doi.org/10.26565/2312-4334-2023-1-11.

12. Ojovan M. I., Yudintsev S. V. (2023). Glass, ceramic, and glass-crystalline matrices for HLW immobilisation. Open Ceramics, no. 14, art. 100355. doi.org/10.1016/j.oceram.2023.100355.

13. Laverov N. P., Yudintsev S. V., Yudintseva T. S., Stefanovsky S. V., et al. (2003). Effect of radiation on properties of confinement matrices for immobilization of actinide-bearing wastes. Geology of Ore Deposits, vol. 45, no. 6, pp. 423–451.

14. Gin S., Jollivet P., Tribet M., Peuget S., Schuller S. (2017). Radionuclides containment in nuclear glasses: an overview. Radiochim. Acta, vol. 105 (11), pp. 927–959. Available at: www.researchgate.net/publication/318193760.

15. Malkovsky V. I., Yudintsev S. V., Ojovan M. I., Petrov V. A. (2020). The influence of radiation on confinement properties of nuclear waste glasses. Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations, vol. 2020, art. 8875723.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8875723.

16. Mykhailov О. V., Bezmylov V. M. (2023). [Conditioning of high-level solid radioactive waste in nuclear fuel cycle. Review of methods and procedures. Part 1]. Nuclear Power and the Environment, vol. 28 (3), pp. 26–37. doi.org/10.31717/2311-8253.23.3.4. (in Ukr.)

17. Pazukhin E. М. (1994). [Lava-like fuel containing mass of the 4 Unit of the Chornobyl NPP: topography, physical and chemical properties, scenario of formation]. Radiochemistry, vol. 36 (2), pp. 97–142. (in Rus.)

18. Pazukhin E. M., Borovoi A. A., Lagunenko A. S., Kolomiets F. H. (2002). [The study of lava-like fuel containing materials’ samples taken from different lava depth]. Problems of Chornobyl, vol. 9, pp. 66–75. (in Rus.)

19. Savonenkov V. G., Аnderson Е. B., Smirnovа Е. А., Shabalev S. I. (2009). [Radiogeochemical study of fuel morbid growth resulting from the Chernobyl accident]. Proc. V. G. Khlopin Radium Institute, vol. 14, pp. 87–117. (in Rus.)

20. Arutyunyan R. V., Bolshov L. A., Borovoi A. A., Velikhov E. P., Klyuchnikov A. A. (2010). Jadernoe toplivo v ob’ekte “Ukrytie” Chernobyl’skoj AES [Nuclear fuel in the Shelter object of the Chornobyl NPP]. Moscow: Nauka, 240 p. (in Rus.)

21. Krasnov V. O., Nosovskyi A. V., Paskevych S. A., Rudko V. M., Shcherbin V. М. (2016). Obiekt “Ukryttia”: trydtsiat’ rokiv pislia avarii: monografiia [Shelter object: 30 years after the accident: monograph]. Chornobyl: ISP NPP, NAS of Ukraine, 512 p. (in Ukr.)

22. Krasnov V. O., Nosovskyi A. V., Paskevych S. A., Rudko V. M.; Nosovskyi A. V. (ed.) (2021). Obiekt “Ukryttia” v umovakh novoho bezpechnoho konfainmenta [The Shelter object in conditions of the New Safe Confinement]. Chornobyl: ISP NPP, NAS of Ukraine, 344 p. (in Ukr.)

23. Gabelkov S. V., Nosovskyi A. V., Shcherbin V. M. (2016). [Degradation model for microstructure of lava-like fuel containing materials of the Shelter object]. Problems of Nuclear Power Plants Safety and of Chornobyl, vol. 26, pp. 75–84. Available at: https://www.ispnpp.kiev.ua/wp-content/uploads/2017/2016_26/c75.pdf. (in Rus.)

24. Gabielkov S. V., Zhyganiuk I. V. (2021). [The updated model of microstructure evolution of lava-like fuel-containing materials of 4th block of Chornobyl NPP. Brown ceramics]. Ukrainian Journal of Physics, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 347–364. doi.org/10.15407/ujpe66.4.34 (in Ukr.)

25. Odintsov О. О. (2012). [Study of radionuclide leaching from lava-like fuel-containing materials of the Shelter object]. Problems of Nuclear Power Plants Safety and of Chornobyl, vol. 19, pp. 70–80. https://www.ispnpp.kiev.ua/wp-content/uploads/2017/2012_19/c70.pdf. (in Rus.)

26. Odintsov O. O., Khan V. E., Krasnov V. O., Shcherbin V. M., Yakovenko M. М. (2014). [Radiactively contaminated water in the rooms of the Shelter object]. Problems of Nuclear Power Plants Safety and of Chornobyl, vol. 23, pp. 89–101. Available at: https://www.ispnpp.kiev.ua/wp-content/uploads/2017/2014_23/c89.pdf. (in Rus.)

27. Odintsov O. O., Palamar L. А., Chikur L. B. (2021). [Speciation of Radionuclides in the Bottom Sediments of Room 012/7 of the NSC — Shelter Object]. Nuclear Power and the Environment, vol. 22 (3), pp. 58–66. doi.org/10.31717/2311. (in Ukr.)

28. Gabelkov S. V., Klyuchnikov, A. A., Parkhomchuk P. E., Chemersky G. F. (2015). [Nature of formation on nanosized pore channels of lava-like fuel-containing materials of the Shelter object]. Problems of Atomic Science and Technology, vol. 96, no. 2, pp. 77–83. Available at: https://vant.kipt.kharkov.ua/ARTICLE/VANT_2015_2/article_2015_2_77r.pdf. (in Rus.)

29. Gabielkov S. V., Zhyganiuk I. V., Kudlai V. G., Parkhomchuk P. E., Chikolovets S. A. (2019). [Crystallization of lava-like fuel-containing materials from the NSC-SO]. Problems of Nuclear Power Plants Safety and of Chornobyl, vol. 32, pp. 44–51. doi.org/10.31717/1813-3584.19.32.6 (in Ukr.)

30. Gabielkov S. V., Zhyganiuk I. V., Kudlai V. G., Nosovskyi A. V., Parkhomchuk P. E., Chikolovets S. O., Shcherbin V. M. (2019). [Phase composition of brown ceramics of lava-like fuel-containing materials of the Shelter object of the ChNPP]. Nuclear Physics and Atomic Energy, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 388–396. doi.org/10.15407/jnpae2019.04.388. (in Ukr.)

31. Olkhovyk Yu. O. (2014). [On the conditioning of lava fuel-containing masses of the Shelter object]. Nuclear Power and the Environment, vol. 2, pp. 52–55. http://nbuv.gov.ua/ UJRN/jaed_2014_2_11. (in Rus.)

32. Olkhovyk Yu. O. (2019). [Vitrification of lava-like fuel-containing materials — a promising event on transformation of the Shelter object into an ecologically safe system]. Problems of Nuclear Power Plants Safety and of Chornobyl, vol.

32, pp. 52–56. doi.org/10.31717/1813-3584.19.32.7. (in Ukr.)

33. Mikhailov A. V. (2016). [On the issue of material and energy sources of formation of fuel-containing materials during the accident at the 4th unit of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant]. Nuclear Physics and Atomic Energy, vol. 17 (4), pp. 354–363. doi.org/10.15407/jnpae2016.04.354. (in Rus.)

Full Text (PDF)

---