Sample records for clarkeite
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Kim, Kwang-Wook; Kim, Yeon-Hwa; Lee, Se-yoon; Lee, Jae-Won; Joe, Kih-Soo; Lee, Eil-Hee; Kim, Jong-Seung; Song, Kyuseok; Song, Kee-Chan
2009-04-01
This work studied the dissolution of uranium dioxide and precipitation characteristics of uranyl ions in alkaline and acidic solutions depending on the presence of carbonate ions and H2O2 in the solutions at different pHs controlled by adding HNO3 or NaOH in the solution. The chemical structures of the precipitates generated in different conditions were evaluated and compared by using XRD, SEM, TG-DT, and IR analyses together. The sizes and forms of the precipitates in the solutions were evaluated, as well. The uranyl ions were precipitated in the various forms, depending on the solution pH and the presences of hydrogen peroxide and carbonate ions in the solution. In a 0.5 M Na2CO3 solution with H2O2, where the uranyl ions formed mixed uranyl peroxy-carbonato complexes, the uranyl ions were precipitated as a uranium peroxide of UO4(H20)4 at pH 3-4, and precipitated as a clarkeite of Na2U2Ox(OH)y(H2O)z above pH 13. In the same carbonate solution without H2O2, where the uranyl ions formed uranyl tris-carbonato complex, the uranyl ions were observed to be precipitated as a different form of clarkeite above pH 13. The precipitate of uranyl ions in a nitrate solution without carbonate ions and H2O2 at a high pH were studied together to compare the precipitate forms in the carbonate solutions.
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Analysis of the 2H-evaporator scale samples (HTF-17-56, -57)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hay, M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Coleman, C. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Diprete, D. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
2017-09-13
Savannah River National Laboratory analyzed scale samples from both the wall and cone sections of the 242-16H Evaporator prior to chemical cleaning. The samples were analyzed for uranium and plutonium isotopes required for a Nuclear Criticality Safety Assessment of the scale removal process. The analysis of the scale samples found the material to contain crystalline nitrated cancrinite and clarkeite. Samples from both the wall and cone contain depleted uranium. Uranium concentrations of 16.8 wt% 4.76 wt% were measured in the wall and cone samples, respectively. The ratio of plutonium isotopes in both samples is ~85% Pu-239 and ~15% Pu-238 by mass and shows approximately the same 3.5 times higher concentration in the wall sample versus the cone sample as observed in the uranium concentrations. The mercury concentrations measured in the scale samples were higher than previously reported values. The wall sample contains 19.4 wt% mercury and the cone scale sample 11.4 wt% mercury. The results from the current scales samples show reasonable agreement with previous 242-16H Evaporator scale sample analysis; however, the uranium concentration in the current wall sample is substantially higher than previous measurements.
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Development of a carbonate crust on alkaline nuclear waste sludge at the Hanford site.
Page, Jason S; Reynolds, Jacob G; Ely, Tom M; Cooke, Gary A
2018-01-15
Hard crusts on aging plutonium production waste have hindered the remediation of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington, USA. In this study, samples were analyzed to determine the cause of a hard crust that developed on the highly radioactive sludge during 20 years of inactivity in one of the underground tanks (tank 241-C-105). Samples recently taken from the crust were compared with those acquired before the crust appeared. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that aluminum and uranium phases at the surface had converted from (hydr)oxides (gibbsite and clarkeite) into carbonates (dawsonite and cejkaite) and identified trona as the cementing phase, a bicarbonate that formed at the expense of thermonatrite. Since trona is more stable at lower pH values than thermonatrite, the pH of the surface decreased over time, suggesting that CO 2 from the atmosphere lowered the pH. Thus, a likely cause of crust formation was the absorption of CO 2 from the air, leading to a reduction of the pH and carbonation of the waste surface. The results presented here help establish a model for how nuclear process waste can age and can be used to aid future remediation and retrieval activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Thermodynamics of Uranyl Minerals: Enthalpies of Formation of Uranyl Oxide Hydrates
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kubatko, K.; Helean, K.; Navrotsky, A.; Burns, P.C.
2005-01-01
The enthalpies of formation of seven uranyl oxide hydrate phases and one uranate have been determined using high-temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry: [(UO 2 ) 4 O(OH) 6 ](H 2 O) 5 , metaschoepite; β-UO 2 (OH) 2 ; CaUO 4 ; Ca(UO 2 ) 6 O 4 (OH) 6 (H 2 O) 8 , becquerelite; Ca(UO 2 ) 4 O 3 (OH) 4 (H 2 O) 2 ; Na(UO 2 )O(OH), clarkeite; Na 2 (UO 2 ) 6 O 4 (OH) 6 (H 2 O) 7 , the sodium analogue of compreignacite and Pb 3 (UO 2 ) 8 O 8 (OH) 6 (H 2 O) 2 , curite. The enthalpy of formation from the binary oxides, ΔH f-ox , at 298 K was calculated for each compound from the respective drop solution enthalpy, ΔH ds . The standard enthalpies of formation from the elements, ΔH f o , at 298 K are -1791.0 ± 3.2, -1536.2 ± 2.8, -2002.0 ± 3.2, -11389.2 ± 13.5, -6653.1 ± 13.8, -1724.7 ± 5.1, -10936.4 ± 14.5 and -13163.2 ± 34.4 kJ mol -1 , respectively. These values are useful in exploring the stability of uranyl oxide hydrates in auxiliary chemical systems, such as those expected in U-contaminated environments
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Thermodynamics of Uranyl Minerals: Enthalpies of Formation of Uranyl Oxide Hydrates
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
K. Kubatko; K. Helean; A. Navrotsky; P.C. Burns
2005-05-11
The enthalpies of formation of seven uranyl oxide hydrate phases and one uranate have been determined using high-temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry: [(UO{sub 2}){sub 4}O(OH){sub 6}](H{sub 2}O){sub 5}, metaschoepite; {beta}-UO{sub 2}(OH){sub 2}; CaUO{sub 4}; Ca(UO{sub 2}){sub 6}O{sub 4}(OH){sub 6}(H{sub 2}O){sub 8}, becquerelite; Ca(UO{sub 2}){sub 4}O{sub 3}(OH){sub 4}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}; Na(UO{sub 2})O(OH), clarkeite; Na{sub 2}(UO{sub 2}){sub 6}O{sub 4}(OH){sub 6}(H{sub 2}O){sub 7}, the sodium analogue of compreignacite and Pb{sub 3}(UO{sub 2}){sub 8}O{sub 8}(OH){sub 6}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}, curite. The enthalpy of formation from the binary oxides, {Delta}H{sub f-ox}, at 298 K was calculated for each compound from the respective drop solution enthalpy, {Delta}H{sub ds}. The standard enthalpies of formation from the elements, {Delta}H{sub f}{sup o}, at 298 K are -1791.0 {+-} 3.2, -1536.2 {+-} 2.8, -2002.0 {+-} 3.2, -11389.2 {+-} 13.5, -6653.1 {+-} 13.8, -1724.7 {+-} 5.1, -10936.4 {+-} 14.5 and -13163.2 {+-} 34.4 kJ mol{sup -1}, respectively. These values are useful in exploring the stability of uranyl oxide hydrates in auxiliary chemical systems, such as those expected in U-contaminated environments.
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Bots, Pieter; Morris, Katherine; Hibberd, Rosemary; Law, Gareth T W; Mosselmans, J Frederick W; Brown, Andy P; Doutch, James; Smith, Andrew J; Shaw, Samuel
2014-12-09
The favored pathway for disposal of higher activity radioactive wastes is via deep geological disposal. Many geological disposal facility designs include cement in their engineering design. Over the long term, interaction of groundwater with the cement and waste will form a plume of a hyperalkaline leachate (pH 10-13), and the behavior of radionuclides needs to be constrained under these extreme conditions to minimize the environmental hazard from the wastes. For uranium, a key component of many radioactive wastes, thermodynamic modeling predicts that, at high pH, U(VI) solubility will be very low (nM or lower) and controlled by equilibrium with solid phase alkali and alkaline-earth uranates. However, the formation of U(VI) colloids could potentially enhance the mobility of U(VI) under these conditions, and characterizing the potential for formation and medium-term stability of U(VI) colloids is important in underpinning our understanding of U behavior in waste disposal. Reflecting this, we applied conventional geochemical and microscopy techniques combined with synchrotron based in situ and ex situ X-ray techniques (small-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray adsorption spectroscopy (XAS)) to characterize colloidal U(VI) nanoparticles in a synthetic cement leachate (pH > 13) containing 4.2-252 μM U(VI). The results show that in cement leachates with 42 μM U(VI), colloids formed within hours and remained stable for several years. The colloids consisted of 1.5-1.8 nm nanoparticles with a proportion forming 20-60 nm aggregates. Using XAS and electron microscopy, we were able to determine that the colloidal nanoparticles had a clarkeite (sodium-uranate)-type crystallographic structure. The presented results have clear and hitherto unrecognized implications for the mobility of U(VI) in cementitious environments, in particular those associated with the geological disposal of nuclear waste.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Page, J.S.; Cooke, G.A.; Pestovich, J.A.
2011-01-01
of both the crushed cobble and bulk material. Some of the trace phases were identified as uranium-rich (sodium diuranate and/or clarkeite), sodium aluminum-rich (dawsonite and/or sodium aluminate), and a sludge-like phase with a variable chemistry rich in iron, nickel, and lead. A composite was created from the grab samples and a sample was taken from the composite, labeled S11T009482, for solid phase characterization. In general, the vast majority of the particles and aggregates analyzed in the composite were either gibbsite or natrophosphate. A very minor phase consisting of dispersed small particles was rich in uranium.