Conditioning of Spent Electrolyte Surrogate LiCl-KCl-CsCl Using Magnesium Potassium Phosphate Compound

The current work was aimed at developing a new conditioning method of spent electrolyte-radioactive waste (RW) generated during the pyrochemical reprocessing of mixed nitride uranium-plutonium spent nuclear fuel. Magnesium potassium phosphate (MPP) compound samples were synthesized under solidificat...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Svetlana A. Kulikova, Kseniya Yu. Belova, Ekaterina A. Tyupina, Sergey E. Vinokurov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/8/1963
Description
Summary:The current work was aimed at developing a new conditioning method of spent electrolyte-radioactive waste (RW) generated during the pyrochemical reprocessing of mixed nitride uranium-plutonium spent nuclear fuel. Magnesium potassium phosphate (MPP) compound samples were synthesized under solidification of the electrolyte surrogate solution in a LiCl-KCl-CsCl system. The phase composition and structure of obtained compounds were studied by XRD and SEM-EDS methods. It was found that the compounds possessed a high compressive strength of 17–26 MPa. Hydrolytic stability of the compounds was evaluated in accordance with the long semi-dynamic test GOST R 52126-2003 and with the static PCT test. The <sup>137</sup>Cs content in the leached solutions was determined by gamma-ray spectrometry, and other compound components were determined by ICP–AES and ICP–MS methods. The differential leaching rate of Cs at 25 °C from monolithic samples on the 91st day of samples contact with water was 5–11 × 10<sup>−5</sup> g/(cm<sup>2</sup>·day) (GOST R 52126-2003), and was 4–29 × 10<b><sup>−</sup></b><sup>7</sup> g/(cm<sup>2</sup>∙day) on the 7th day at 90 °C from crushed samples (PCT). The thermal stability of the compound at 180 °C and 450 °C was shown. The characteristics of the obtained MPP compound correspond to the current regulatory requirements for materials for RW conditioning.
ISSN:1996-1073