Spent Ion Exchange Resins
The final demonstration for this project was performed at the Savannah River Technology Center hot
cells May 7-11, 2001. CNEA and DOE performed vitrification tests on resins representative of the
Embalse plant and doped with radioactive Co, Sr, and Cs. They performed a qualitative analysis
of off-gas pollutants and provided comparison with previous tests. They also obtained data on waste
form durability performance, radionuclide retention and partitioning, and organic destruction
efficiency. A final report on this project will be completed by the end of FY01.
Molybdenum-99
At the Fifth JCCRM meeting in November 2000, DOE and CNEA agreed to expand the Mo-99 project to
include the evaluation of crown ethers and other absorbers to remove cesium, as well as strontium,
from the Mo-99 waste stream.
Double-Shell Tanks Corrosion Chemistry
The DOE Office of River Protection at the DOE Hanford Site has identified a science and technology
need to conduct a laboratory study to better understand the effects of radioactive waste chemistry
on the corrosion of waste storage tanks at the Hanford Site. The science and technology need,
Double-Shell Tanks Corrosion Chemistry, calls for a multi-year effort to identify waste chemistries
and temperatures within the double-shell tank (DST) operating limits for corrosion control and
operating temperature range that may not provide the expected corrosion protection and evaluate
future operations for the conditions outside the existing corrosion database. Under the auspices
of the JCCRM, CNEA and DOE have agreed to a collaborative study which will investigate the effects
of tank waste chemistry on radioactive waste storage tank corrosion.
In-Situ Sampling Project
DOE and CNEA plan to initiate an in-situ sampling project for a cistern located at CNEA's Atucha nuclear
power plant. Based on the data collected by CNEA, it was concluded that remote sampling is necessary. DOE is working to identify options for sampling the cistern.
Contact: Kurt Gerdes, 301/903-7289
Physics of Fracture Flow and Transport in the Vadose Zone
DOE and CNEA have agreed to work collaboratively on a project chosen from the Subsurface
Contaminants Focus Area (SCFA) Needs List. The project chosen for joint collaboration is
AL-09-01-10-SC-S Physics of Fracture Flow and Transport in the Vadose Zone. A proposed
scope of work for this project is currently being developed.
Low-Level Waste Trench Issue Project
DOE and CNEA agreed to collaborate on a project which will apply US models to CNEA data
related to trenches. A proposed Scope of Work for this project is currently being developed.
Contact: Skip Chamberlain, 301/903-7248
D&D Planning Workshop
DOE and CNEA conducted a workshop on D&D Planning in Argentina in May 2001. The purpose of this workshop was to develop cooperative projects for implementation under the JCCRM. Some of the projects discussed include:
- Demonstration/deployment of DDFA technologies at Atucha 1
- Demonstrate mature Argentine D&D technologies in U.S.
- Basic Science and Applied R&D proposals to DOE
- IAEA Training Course
- Student Exchange
- U.S. review of CNEA Characterization Plan
- U.S. assistance in developing Atucha 1 transition plan
- U.S. assistance in cost-estimating D&D projects for CNEA
- DDFA review of Atucha 1 technology needs
- Mock-up of CNEA facilities at FIU-HCET
D&D Site Visits
A CNEA delegation attended a DOE D&D Site Visit to Hanford, Argonne, and Brookhaven in July 2001.
Contact: Steven Bossart, 304/285-4643
CNEA and DOE have been collaborating in the area of solidification of waste materials for storage
and ultimate disposal. Two projects were conducted during FY00: the Spent Ion Exchange Resins
project and the molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) project.
Spent Ion Exchange Resins
The Spent Ion Exchange Resins project investigates the potential use of vitrification as a
method for treating spent resins from Argentina's Atucha I and Embalse nuclear power plants.
At present, approximately 42m3 of spent resins are stored at Atucha I, and 120m3 are stored
at Embalse. In FY97, Savannah River Technology Center completed bench-scale studies and
melter demonstrations with organic ion-exchange resins. Irradiation studies with the
Argentine resins were also performed. In FY99, studies were conducted using a stirred melter
at the Clemson Environmental Technologies Laboratory (CETL) at Clemson University. In these
studies, representative Cs-doped resins from the Atucha and Embalse plants were vitrified
and off-gas and other operational data were collected.
In FY00, additional melter studies were performed in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's
(PNNL) Research Scale Melter (RSM) using Atucha and Embalse resins that had been doped with
inactive Cs, Strontium (Sr) and Cobalt (Co). Detailed off-gas analyses were performed and
operating parameters for a conventional slurry-fed Joule heated melter were also obtained.
Molybdenum-99
The objective of this project is to improve the efficiency of the Mo-99 production process
by removing the Cesium (Cs) concentration from the Mo-99 waste stream, thereby allowing the
bulk of the Mo-99 waste stream to be disposed of as low-level waste. In FY97, analysis
of CNEA's Mo-99 waste streams indicated that the inorganic selective ion exchange material
Crystalline Silicotitanates (CST) could provide the decontamination factors needed for low-level
waste classification. CNEA representatives agreed to test CSTs on their Mo-99 waste stream.
From FY97-FY99, multiple options were evaluated combined with computer modeling of the
operation. DOE technical support was provided to CNEA personnel during the setup of a
bench scale (non-radioactive) test. At the Fifth JCCRM meeting in November 2000,
DOE and CNEA agreed to expand the Mo-99 project to include the evaluation of crown ethers
and other absorbers to remove cesium, as well as strontium, from the Mo-99 waste stream.
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