Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the 2002 International RERTR Meeting
SEARCH REACTOR SPENT FUEL MANAGEMENT IN ARGENTINA
M.A. Audero, A.M. Bevilacqua,
A.M. Mehlich and O. Novara
Comisión Nacional de
Energía Atómica (CNEA) - Argentina
ABSTRACT
The research reactor spent fuel
(RRSF) management strategy will be presented as well as the interim storage
experience.
Currently, low-enriched uranium
RRSF is in wet interim storage either at reactor site or away from reactor site
in a centralized storage facility. High-enriched uranium RRSF from the
centralized storage facility has been sent to the U.S.A. in the
framework of the Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance
Program.
The strategy for the management
of the RRSF could implement the encapsulation for interim dry storage. As an
alternative to encapsulation for dry storage some conditioning processes are
being studied which include decladding, isotopic
dilution, oxidation and immobilization. The immobilized material will be
suitable for final disposal.
The conditioning concepts and
the laboratory scale research will be briefly presented as well as the hot cell
facility that can host the conditioning process.