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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 919 records · Page 51
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Simulated Impacts of Water Introduced into Pits 37 and 38 at Technical Area 54, Area G, Los Alamos National Laboratory - 17386

Water is used in the disposal of bulk waste generated by cleanup activities at LANL, including large quantities of waste retrieved from Material Disposal Area (MDA) B. This water is used to wash material from the metal bins in which the material is transported to Area G, to decontaminate the containers so they can be returned to service, to decontaminate the trucks used to transport the bins, and for general dust suppression during waste placement. The introduction of this water into pits 37 and 38 at Area G during disposal of MDA B waste in those pits may affect the rates at which water percolates through, and leaches contaminants from, the waste in the disposal pits, and thus may hasten the transport of contamination to the regional aquifer below the disposal facility. A special analysis was conducted to evaluate the potential impacts of the water used during bulk waste disposal on the long-term performance of the disposal facility. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Scientific Investigations on the Chemical Reactivity of Los Alamos Remediated Nitrate Salt Wastes - 16540

The February 14, 2014 release of radioactivity at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) was the result of runaway thermal reactions that occurred in a TRU waste drum containing nitrate salts remediated using an organic absorbent. Experimental and modeling studies performed at LANL indicate that mixtures of metal nitrate salts (oxidizer) with sWheat Scoop{sup R} organic kitty litter (fuel) create the potential for exothermic chemical reactions. The use of sWheat{sup R} absorbent in the processing of nitrate salt wastes can be pinpointed as the critical processing decision that led to the failure of the breached drum in the WIPP repository. The most plausible scenario is that a production of heat, either from low-level chemical reactions or the growth of natural microbes, in concert with mixed metal nitrate salts, bismuth lined glovebox gloves and/or lead nitrates when combined with the sWheat{sup R} organic kitty litter, generated a series of exothermic reactions that heated and pressurized the drum resulting in the venting of high-temperature gases and radioactive material into the room. Observations and modeling studies indicate that the probability of thermal runaway in another drum has decreased with time since the WIPP event. However, the complexity of the mixtures, ambiguity in procedures such as those used for neutralization, the heterogeneity of the drum contents, and the difficulty of sampling leads to an irreducible level of uncertainty that mandates the exercise of caution in managing RNS wastes. The situation also requires that this waste stream continue to be stored in a temperature-controlled environment and monitored until the waste can be remediated to remove the hazard permanently. We recommend that proposals to treat nitrate salts with organic absorbents of any kind be accompanied by experimental studies to confirm that similarly sensitive mixtures are not inadvertently created over the range of conditions (mixture quantities, moisture content, etc.) anticipated during processing and storage. (authors)

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