Parametric study of LWR spent fuel dissolution kinetics
Abstract
Spent fuel dissolution rates have been measured using a flowthrough system where the uranium concentrations remained well below solubility limits, thus allowing unambiguous reaction rates to be determined. The study was based on a statistically designed test matrix that covered four water chemistry variables: temperature (25 to 75°C), pH (8 to 10), carbonate/bicarbonate concentration (2 × 10 -4M to 2 × 10 -2M), and oxygen fugacity (O 2 partial pressure 0.002 to 0.2 atm). Results obtained to date and reported here encompass the first three, all at 0.2 atm O 2 partial pressure. The dissolution rate was found to be moderately dependent on temperature but only weakly dependent on pH and carbonate/bicarbonate concentration.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Nuclear Materials
- Pub Date:
- August 1992
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0022-3115(92)90074-U
- Bibcode:
- 1992JNuM..190...46G