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Reexamining the Dissolution of Spent Fuel: A Comparison of Different Methods for Calculating Rates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Brady D. Hanson
Affiliation:
Radiochemical Science & Engineering Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, U.S.A., brady.hanson@pnl.gov
Ray B. Stout
Affiliation:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Dissolution rates for spent fuel have typically been reported in terms of a rate normalized to the surface area of the specimen. Recent evidence has shown that neither the geometric surface area nor that measured with BET accurately predicts the effective surface area of spent fuel. Dissolution rates calculated from results obtained by flowthrough tests were reexamined comparing the cumulative releases and surface area normalized rates. While initial surface area is important for comparison of different rates, it appears that normalizing to the surface area introduces unnecessary uncertainty compared to using cumulative or fractional release rates. Discrepancies in past data analyses are mitigated using this alternative method.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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