May 22, 2018
Feature

Surrogate Waste Tests at Field Lysimeter Test Facility

LAW waste storage forms to be tested

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A project to assess the degradation of low-activity waste (LAW) will use the Field Lysimeter Test Facility (FLTF) on the Hanford Site. During the study, surrogate glass and cementitious waste forms will be produced and buried in the FLTF lysimeters, exposed to several water-flux rates under ambient temperature conditions. These waste forms will be monitored for the release of tracers and evidence of waste form degradation. Results from this investigation will

  • provide field-specific experimental data on waste form degradation,
  • refine process modeling of waste form contaminant release,
  • reduce uncertainties for determining long-term waste form performance under field conditions, and
  • improve confidence in the IDF Performance Assessment by providing data that verify parameters and assumptions used in the IDF PA modeling.

The study will improve stakeholder confidence in the safe disposal of LAW, aiding in the adoption of evidence-based facility designs, and potentially reduce long-term operational costs.

Key Capabilities

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