Thermal effects in the matrix with the rare earth fraction

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Abstract

Separation of high-level waste (HLW) onto fractions simplifies their isolation in matrices and disposal. One of these fractions consists of rare earths (REE) and minor actinides (MA = Am, Cm). Among the rare earth elements there are isotopes 144Ce, 147Pm, 151Sm, and 154,155Eu with half-lives of up to 93 years, decay of the nuclides will cause heating of the matrices with HLW. It has been shown that preliminary storage of the REE–MA matrix for 10 years or more will reduce the content of REE radioisotopes and their contribution to temperature increase in geological repository.

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About the authors

S. V. Yudintsev

Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: yudintsevsv@gmail.com

Corresponding Member of the RAS

Russian Federation, Moscow

V. I. Malkovsky

Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy and Geochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: yudintsevsv@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Moscow

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2. Fig. 1. Dependence on the time of heat release (a) and temperature (b) in the center (1) and on the surface (2) of a cylindrical block of the REE–MA fraction matrix with a diameter of 0.2 m. It was believed that all REE isotopes are stable.

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3. Fig. 2. Heat release (green curve) and temperature in the center (1) and on the surface (2) of a glass matrix block in the interval 0.001 year – 100 years (a, c) and 1 year – 100 years (b, d) for REE contents of 10 (a, b) or 50 (c, d) wt.%. Without a bentonite buffer layer.

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4. Fig. 3. Heat release (green curves) and temperature of glass (a) and ceramics (b) with 30 wt.% REE in the center of the matrix block (1) and on its surface (2), bentonite is absent.

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5. Fig. 4. Heat generation (green curve) and temperature at the center (1) and on the surface (2) of a ceramic matrix block with 30 wt.% REE in the presence of bentonite (a) or without it (b).

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6. Fig. 5. Temperature in the center of the glass (a) and ceramic (b) block during storage from 1 to 6 years with a 0.1 m thick bentonite layer (purple curve) and without it (green curve), the scale along the “Y” axis is logarithmic. Temperature profiles in the storage facility after 1 year, 10 and 100 years after loading the glass matrix under the condition of temporary storage for 5 years without a buffer (c) and with a 0.1 m thick bentonite layer (d). The REE content in all cases is 30 wt. % (35 wt. % calculated as REE2O3), the radius of the waste matrix block is 0.1 m.

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