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Influence of Carbonate on Uranium Solubility in the WIPP

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 May 2012

Jean-Francois Lucchini ,
Sally Ballard  and
Hnin Khaing
Jean-Francois Lucchini
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, 115 N. Main, Carlsbad, NM 88220, U.S.A
Sally Ballard
Affiliation:
Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center, New Mexico State University, 1400 University Drive, Carlsbad, NM 88220, U.S.A.
Hnin Khaing
Affiliation:
URS, Washington Safety Management Solutions, 1400 University Drive, Carlsbad, NM 88220, U.S.A.
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Abstract

In the performance assessment (PA) for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the solubility of uranium (VI) was conservatively set at 10-3 M for all expected WIPP conditions, including the potential and likely effects of carbonate complexation [1]. Under WIPP-relevant conditions, long-term experiments were performed to establish the uranium (VI) solubility limits in WIPP-simulated brine over a broad range of pCH+ values [7.5-12.5] and to evaluate the contribution of carbonate complexation and hydrolysis to uranium (VI) speciation. Data obtained in carbonate-free ERDA-6 brine, a simulated WIPP brine, were reported earlier [2]. In the absence of carbonate, uranium solubility approached 10-7 M at the expected pCH+ in the WIPP (~ 9.5). In the presence of a significant amount of carbonate (millimole levels), recent experimental results showed that uranium (VI) concentrations will not exceed 10-4M. This measured solubility limit is an order of magnitude lower than the uranium solubility value currently used in the WIPP PA [3]. A small effect of borate complexation was found in the pCH+ range [7.5-10]. At pCH+ ≥ 10, hydrolysis overwhelmed carbonate effects, and no amphoteric effect was observed.

Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1444: Symposium S/Y – Actinides and Nuclear Energy Materials , 2012 , mrss12-1444-y10-12
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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References

REFERENCES

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