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Ceramic Wasteforms for the Conditioning of Spent MOx Fuel Wastes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

E. R. Maddrell  and
P. K. Abraitis
E. R. Maddrell
Affiliation:
British Nuclear Fuels plc, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, United Kingdom, CA20 1PG
P. K. Abraitis
Affiliation:
British Nuclear Fuels plc, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, United Kingdom, CA20 1PG
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Abstract

Crystalline ceramic wasteforms have been fabricated to immobilise a combined fission product and actinide waste stream arising from spent MOx fuel. The fuel is conditioned by a UREX process, as contrasted to PUREX, to produce a waste stream containing fission products and transuranics. Zirconia rich Synroc derivatives have been formulated to minimise formation of perovskite. This ensures that the transuranics are predominantly immobilised in zirconolite. For comparison, a wasteform has also been produced in which transuranics and rare earth element fission products are immobilised in a radiation resistant cubic zirconia solid solution, whilst caesium, strontium and barium are partitioned to an alumina rich magnetoplumbite phase.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 807: Symposium Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXVII , 2003 , 231
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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References

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