Disposal of Weapon Plutonium: Approaches and Prospects: 4 (NATO Science Partnership Subseries: 1, 4) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0792338413 ISBN 13: 9780792338413

Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995

Synopsis

This NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Disposal of Weapons Plutonium is a follow-up event to two preceding workshops, each dealing with a special subject within the overall disarmament issue: "Disposition of Weapon Plutonium", sponsored by the NATO Science Committee. The first workshop of this series was held at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London on 24-25 January 1994, entitled "Managing the Plutonium Surplus, Applications, and Options". Its over­ all goal was to clarify the current situation with respect to pluto­ nium characteristics and availability, the technical options for use or disposal, and their main technical, environmental, and economic constraints. In the immediate term, plutonium recovered from dismantled nuclear warheads will have to be stored securely, and under international safeguards if possible. In the intermediate term, the principal alter­ natives for disposition of this plutonium are: irradiation in mixed­ oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies in existing commercial light-water reac­ tors or in specially adapted light-water reactors capable of operation with full cores of MOX fuel .and irradiation in future fast reactors. Another option is to blend plutonium with high-level waste as it is vitrified for final disposal in a geologic repository. In both cases, the high radioactivity of the resulting products provides "self­ shielding" and prevents separation of plutonium without already­ developed and available sophisticated technology. The so-called "spent fuel standard" as an effective protection barrier is - quired in either case.

About this title

Synopsis

In the immediate term, plutonium recovered from dismantled nuclear warheads will have to be stored securely, under international safeguards where possible. One of the principal alternatives for the disposition of this plutonium is to blend it with high-level waste as it is vitrified for final disposal in a geologic repository. The high radioactivity of the resulting product provides self-shielding and ensures that the Pu cannot be separated without the development of highly sophisticated technology. This third NATO ARW on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium discusses the non-reactor disposition option, presenting a thorough evaluation of the pros and cons. In broad terms, the workshop presents an exchange of information on waste vitrification, including technical feasibility as well as the necessary stringent safeguards. It discusses the different approaches to the optimum techniques and credible alternatives for immobilizing transuranics and fission products for disposal. It introduces new disposal techniques, in particular matrix immobilization followed by deep borehole disposal.

It assesses the implications of safeguarding requirements and identifies common areas in which defined research tasks can be initiated in co-operative partnership.

Edition details

• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0792338413
• ISBN 13: 9780792338413
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352
• Editor: Merz E.R., Walter Carl E.