SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1992
STP19552S

Short-Term Leaching Behavior of Co-60, Sr-85, and Cs-137 from Cemented Ion-Exchange Resin Waste Forms

Source

The leaching characteristics of Co-60, Sr-85, and Cs-137 from cemented ion-exchange resin waste forms containing water-extendible polyester resin and Zeolon 900-sodium additives were investigated using three different types of leach tests, that is, the American Nuclear Society (ANS) 16.1, the Battelle Materials Characteristics Centre (MCC) MCC-4S and modified MCC-4S methods. Specimens used in the leach tests were fabricated with cement and ion-exchange bead resins present in the Li+-OH- form. The ion-exchange resins were doped with Co-60, Sr-85, and Cs-137 to simulate the spent resin waste from nuclear power plants.

The presence of Zeolon 900-sodium additive to the waste form formulation provided distinctly improved adsorption for Cs-137 and seemed not to reduce effectively the releases of Co60 and Sr-85. The leaching processes of the three radionuclides from the waste forms were dominated by diffusion. The leaching rates of Co-60 and Sr-85 were both appreciably affected by the leachant flow rate, while Cs-137 was not apparently sensitive. The presence of nonsorbing backfill material was likely to induce the radionuclides to follow longer transport paths than for specimens only in the presence of water. The clinoptilolite selected as a sorbing backfill material did not retard the Co-60 release, but there was strong absorption of Sr-85 and Cs-137 onto the clinoptilolite.

Author Information

Lee, J-O
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejon, Korea
Han, K-W
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejon, Korea
Buckley, LP
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario, Canada
Price: $25.00
Contact Sales
Related
Reprints and Permissions
Reprints and copyright permissions can be requested through the
Copyright Clearance Center
Details
Developed by Committee: D34
Pages: 204–216
DOI: 10.1520/STP19552S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5186-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-1443-2