Evaluation of Fluorapatite as a Waste-Form Material

Authors

Dennis W. Lindle, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Oliver Hemmers, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Dale L. Perry, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryFollow

Document Type

Annual Report

Publication Date

2004

First page number:

36

Last page number:

37

Abstract

This research attempts to develop a waste form for disposing of the zirconium fluoride fission product waste stream. Fluorapatite, a naturally-occurring fluorinated calcium phosphate, has been identified as a potential matrix for the entombment of this waste stream. If the efficacy of fluorapatite-based wastestorage can be demonstrated, then new and potentially more efficient options for handling and separating high-level wastes, based on fluoride-salt extraction, will become feasible.

The research effort has been divided along two parallel paths: the Fabrication Path, led by collaborators at the Khlopin Radium Institute (KRI) in St. Petersburg, Russia; and the Characterization Path, led by researchers from UNLV.

The Fabrication Path is focused on examining and evaluating various techniques for fabricating synthetic fluorapatite; synthesizing synthetic fluorapatite; and examining the impacts of waste loading and other fabrication process factors on the performance of the synthetic fluorapatite as a potential waste form.

The Characterization Path is focused on adapting and refining the X-ray spectroscopy techniques currently used to characterize borosilicate glass for use in examining the fluorapatite system. This path will also encompass the examination of the ceramic and synthetic mineral waste forms created at KRI, with subsequent examination of these techniques to develop a molecular- level understanding of natural fluorapatite and other fluorine-bearing natural phases as natural analogs for the waste form. These techniques will also be used to examine the changes in surface chemistry caused by environmental degradation of these materials.

Keywords

Calcium phosphate; Fluorides; Phosphate minerals; Radioactive wastes — Storage; Separation (Technology); Zirconium compounds

Controlled Subject

Radioactive wastes--Storage; Separation (Technology); Zirconium compounds

Disciplines

Chemistry | Oil, Gas, and Energy | Physical Chemistry

File Format

pdf

File Size

227 KB

Language

English

Rights

COPYRIGHT UNDETERMINED. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/

Repository Citation

Lindle, D. W., Hemmers, O., Perry, D. L. (2004). Evaluation of Fluorapatite as a Waste-Form Material. 36-37.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/hrc_trp_separations/59