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The Sorption of Thorium and Americium onto Fresh and Degraded Ordinary Portland Cement and onto Green Tuff

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Mark M. Cowper ,
Sarah Baker ,
Adam V. Chambers ,
Timothy G. Heath ,
Morihiro Mihara  and
Stephen J. Williams
Mark M. Cowper
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Walton House, Birchwood Park, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 6AT, U.K.
Sarah Baker
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Walton House, Birchwood Park, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 6AT, U.K.
Adam V. Chambers
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Building 150, Harwell International Business Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RA, U.K.
Timothy G. Heath
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Building 150, Harwell International Business Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RA, U.K.
Morihiro Mihara
Affiliation:
Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai-Mura, Naka-Gun, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan
Stephen J. Williams
Affiliation:
Serco Assurance, Building 150, Harwell International Business Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RA, U.K.
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Abstract

The sorption of thorium and americium has been measured onto crushed samples of freshordinary Portland cement (OPC), degraded OPC (DOPC) and green tuff under a range of aqueous conditions as part of research into the disposal of TRU waste in Japan. Sorption onto OPC was measured from deionised water,3 mol dm−3 sodium nitrate solution and simulated seawater, and onto DOPC from demineralised water; all solutions were pre-equilibrated with the relevant cement. Sorption onto tuff was measured from pre-equilibrated deionised water, 3 mol dm−3 sodium nitrate solution, simulated seawater, OPC leachate and 1 mol dm−3 ammonium hydroxide solution. RD values were determined from the amount of thorium or americium remaining in solution after centrifugation, 0.45 μm filtration and 10,000 nominal molecular weight cut-off (NMWCO) filtration. Centrifugation gave lower RD values than filtration. MeanRD values for sorption onto OPC and DOPC were in the range 4 × 104 to ≥1 × 106 cm3g−1 for thorium, and 3 ×103 to ≥1 × 105 cm3g−1 for americium, after filtration through 10,000 NMWCO filters. Mean RD values for thorium sorption onto tuff increased from2 × 103 cm3g−1 in tuff-equilibrated deionised water, to ≥ 4 × 106 cm3g−1 from ammonium hydroxide solution (10,000 NMWCO-filtration). A similar trend was seen for10,000 NMWCO-iltered americium samples where mean RD values increased from 4 × 103 cm3g−1 in deionised water to 1 × 105 cm3g−1 in ammonium hydroxide solution.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 932: Symposium – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXIX , 2006 , 18.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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References

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