ae) ees 
Chemical Properties of Wastes: Table 6 presents data on the chemical 
nature of the wastes. In the natural uranium-plutonium salted process and 
in the enriched ys? process, the wastes may be acid deficient, whereas 
the nitric acid salted system may be 8 N nitric acid. 
Precipitates may form in a relatively short period of time after 
neutralization of wastes from either of the salted systems shown. Such 
precipitates as aluminum and iron hydroxides which later convert to oxides, 
make handling, storage, and disposal of radiochemical wastes more difficult. 
Radiochemical Properties of Wastes: The radiochemical nature of wastes 
is shown in Table 7. These values are approximations for a reactor similar 
to the Materials Testing Reactor having 10 kw/gm yu? specific power, 30% 
burnup, 1000 megawatts total heat and a consumption of 1 kg of yo? per 
day. 
The shielding requirements given in Table 7 are based on personnel 
tolerances of 6.5 milliroentgens per hour. ‘The need for Shielding is 
one of the things that makes shipping both expensive and difficult. 
Heat is liberated in wastes by decaying fission products. This heat 
is estimated in watts per gallon in Table 7. The decay heat after 100 days 
cooling is sufficient to cause boiling of wastes stored in underground 
tanks. Boiling causes further complications, one of which may be the 
potential hazard of the release of particulates to the atmosphere. The 
heat also magnifies corrosion difficulties. There is always this choice to 
make: a) store the acidified wastes and cope with the corrosion problem 
by cooling large tanks to 120-150°C or, b) neutralize the wastes, allow 
them to boil, let all of the solids precipitate and then gamble with 
"purping", or the blowing of solids up into the condensers. 
/ 
DECLASSIFIED 
