Challenges of assessing long-term performance of nuclear waste matrices in repository near-field environments – insights from the NF-PRO and MICADO projects

Karel Lemmens, B. Grambow, K. Spahiu, Y. Minet, C. Poinssot, Karine Ferrand

Research outputpeer-review

Abstract

For the first time, waste form behaviour (borosilicate glass and spent fuel) has been studied under near-field conditions in a fully integrated fashion. The results obtained on glass in the NF-PRO project confirm the fundamental understanding of the dissolution mechanism also for very compacted near-field conditions in presence of material boundaries such as glass/iron corrosion product and glass/clay. NF-PRO has also reduced important uncertainties in the long-term performance of spent fuel under near- field conditions. A quantification of the remaining uncertainties in parameters and models is under way in the MICADO project. It has been shown that the instant release fractions (IRF) will not increase with time. Radiolysis effects were shown to be less important for fuel dissolution than previously thought. Although NF-PRO has improved our phenomenological understanding of the glass/SF dissolution processes, it is still difficult to reliably predict waste form performance under near-field constraints.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEuradwaste '08. Seventh European Commission Conference on the Management and Disposal of Radioactive Waste. Conference Presentations, Papers and Panel Reports.
Place of PublicationLuxembourg, Luxembourg
Pages1-10
StatePublished - Jun 2009
EventEURADWASTE 2008 - 7th European Commission Conference on the Management and Disposal of Radioactive Waste - European Commission, Luxembourg
Duration: 20 Oct 200823 Oct 2008

Conference

ConferenceEURADWASTE 2008 - 7th European Commission Conference on the Management and Disposal of Radioactive Waste
Country/TerritoryLuxembourg
CityLuxembourg
Period2008-10-202008-10-23

Cite this