Obtaining data from the measurement and calculation of physical and rheological properties of radioactive solutions, slurries and sludges is essential in developing appropriate simulants for the design and testing of retrieval, transport, mixing and storage systems for treating radioactive materials. A new ASTM International standard provides guidelines for gathering this data.

ASTM C1752, Guide for Measuring Physical and Rheological Properties of Radioactive Solutions, Slurries and Sludges, was developed by Subcommittee C26.13 on Spent Fuel and High Level Waste, part of ASTM International Committee C26 on Nuclear Fuel Cycle.

ASTM C1752 gives instructions for making and analyzing measurements that provide data used in predicting how solutions containing solids behave in tanks and pipelines when they are being mixed, during flow in pipelines and when they are settling.

“These predictions help determine the processes and equipment required to retrieve the wastes from underground storage tanks, transport the wastes to the waste treatment facility and process the waste to obtain a stable waste form for disposal,” says Joel Tingey, Ph.D., staff scientist, international technology assessments, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “This data also helps to predict the behavior of the waste slurries during unexpected situations such as loss of power.”

According to Tingey, impetus for the development of the standard came in part from a slurry handling workshop sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Participants at the workshop recommended that technical guidelines for performing physical and rheological properties measurements be documented for use by engineers and scientists working on tank waste slurry issues.

All interested parties are invited to participate in future revisions to ASTM C1752.

“There is a desire by the U.S. Department of Energy to obtain broad collaboration among the private sector, academia and all DOE sites on continued development of methods to measure and predict rheological and physical properties of radioactive waste slurries and sludges,” says Tingey. “Sharing technical expertise and lessons learned is vital to reducing risk and technical uncertainties in processing these complex mixtures.”


ASTM International standards can be purchased from Customer Service (phone: 610-832-9585; https://www.astm.org/contact/).  ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

For more news in this sector, visit astm.org/sn-energy or follow us on Twitter @ASTMEnergy.

ASTM Committee C26 Next Meeting: June 24-28, 2012, June committee week, San Diego, Calif.
Technical Contact: Joel M. Tingey, Ph.D., Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Kennewick, Wash., Phone: 509-376-2580; joel.tingey@pnl.gov
ASTM Staff Contact: Joe Koury, Phone: 610-832-9804; jkoury@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #9107