Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Energy's alternatives for the removal and disposition of molten salt reactor experiment fluoride salts / Molten Salt Panel of the Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes, Board on Radioactive Waste Management, Commission of Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, National Research Council.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes. Molten Salt Panel.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Radioactive waste disposal--United States.

Radioactive waste disposal.

Molten salt reactors.

Fluorides.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (147 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Alternatives for the removal and disposition of molten salt reactor experiment fluoride salts

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1997.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book discusses the technical alternatives for cleanup of radioactive fluoride salts that were the fuel for the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment, a novel nuclear reactor design that was tested in the 1960s at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. These fluoride salts pose an unusual cleanup challenge. The book discusses alternatives for processing and removing the salts based on present knowledge of fluoride salt chemistry and nuclear reactions of the radioactive constituents.

Contents:

Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Energy's

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Preface

Contents

Executive Summary

THE MSRE FACILITY AND CURRENT REMEDIATION PLANS

PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ON THREE MAJOR ISSUES

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS

1-Introduction

CURRENT STATUS OF THE MSRE

ROLE OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

SCOPE AND ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT

2-Radiolysis and Nuclear Reactions

RADIOACTIVE SOURCE TERMS

RADIATION EFFECTS AND GENERAL COMMENTS

Radiation-Induced Liberation of Fluorine and Uranium Hexafluoride Gases

Radiation Decomposition of Solid Uranium Hexafluoride

Long-Term Effects of Leaving Plutonium in the Salt After Uranium Removal

EXCESS OF REDUCING SPECIES IN THE SALT AND HAZARDS OF SIMPLE REMELTING

3-Fluoride Salt Chemistry, Partitioning, and System Corrosion

CHEMISTRY RELEVANT TO THE PRESENT STATUS

Chemical Consequences of Radiolysis

PARTITIONING OF URANIUM FROM THE SALT

PLUTONIUM PARTITIONING BY FLUORINATION

NONFLUORINATION OPTION FOR PLUTONIUM SEPARATION

SYSTEM CORROSION ISSUES

Radiation-Induced Corrosion Questions

4-Preferred Technical Approach

COMMENTS ON PROCESS STEPS

DEVELOPMENT OF A PREFERRED APPROACH

5-Comments on Specific Separation Technologies

FLUORINATION

Direct Fluorination

Hydrofluorination

Alternative Fluorinating Agents

ELECTROREFINING

DISTILLATION OF MOLTEN SALT

AQUEOUS DISSOLUTION AND SEPARATION

Criticality Concerns in Aqueous Processing

Fluoride Removal

Conclusions on Aqueous Processing

STABILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES

6-Nuclear Criticality Considerations

CRITICALITY ISSUES IN PROCESSING

CRITICALITY HAZARD OF REMELTING THE FLUORIDE SALTS IN THE DRAIN TANKS

RATIONALE FOR TECHNICAL INSIGNIFICANCE OF A CRITICALITY EXCURSION

CONCLUDING COMMENTS.

7-Strategic Alternatives

PERMANENT DISPOSAL IN THE DRAIN TANKS

DISPOSAL OF ALL KEY CONTAMINANTS IN THE FEDERAL REPOSITORY

DISPOSAL OF KEY CONTAMINANTS IN THE SALT RESIDUE IN THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT (WIPP)

DISPOSAL OF KEY CONTAMINANTS IN SALT RESIDUE IN THE FEDERAL REPOSITORY

REUSE OF THE SALT

INTERIM STORAGE

RATIONALE FOR REJECTING THE FIRST SIX ALTERNATIVES

INTERIM VERSUS PERMANENT STORAGE AND DISPOSAL

8-Management of MSRE Hazards

CURRENT HAZARDS

HAZARD MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

CRUCIAL ROLE OF FURTHER ACTIVITIES FOR CONDITION AND PROCESS ASSESSMENT

MAJOR RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING HAZARDS

DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING HAZARDS

9-Summary and Responses to Questions in Statement of Task

TECHNICAL SUMMARY

STRATEGY FOR REMEDIATION

Where Is the Uranium?

How Can a Condition Assessment Affect Remediation Plans?

The Panel's Preferred Alternative

Hazards

RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS IN STATEMENT OF TASK

Question 1

Question 2

The Consequences of Failure to Complete According to Plan

Cost Estimates

A Possible Strategy

Question 3

PANEL PERSPECTIVE

OVERALL CONCLUSION

References

Appendixes

Appendix A-List of Materials Reviewed

Appendix B-Alternative Fluorinating Agents

Appendix C-Contamination Concerns Relating to Radon Gas Spread

Appendix D-Use of a Nuclear Poison to Inhibit Nuclear Criticality

Appendix E-Hazard Scoping of Major Actions for Remediation

Appendix F-List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

Appendix G-Glossary

Appendix H-Biographical Sketches of Molten Salt Panel Members and Consultants

Consultants.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786610191765

9780309174923

0309174929

9781280191763

1280191767

9780309590105

0309590108

9780585085395

0585085390

OCLC:

614743023