Stability of ceramic waste forms in potential repository environments: A review

Scenarios for geologic disposal of high level nuclear waste include the eventual intrusion of groundwater into the repository. Reactions in the system and eventual release of the radionuclides are controlled by the chemistry of the groundwater, the surrounding rock, the waste form, engineered barrier materials, temperature, and pressure of the system. Interactions within the wasteform/host rock/groundwater system at various points in its lifetime are evaluated. Results from leaching experiments are presented as a basis for comparison. The factors involved in studying the complete system are discussed so that future research may avoid some of the oversights of past research. Although relatively little hard data on prototype wasteform/repository system interactions exist at this time, the available data and their implications are discussed. Sorption studies and models for predicting radionuclide migration are presented with a study of the factors involved.