Chemistry Commons^™

Environmental Effects On Corrosion Properties Of Alloy 22, Mano Misra

Publications (YM)

This document presents detailed technical report for four Subtasks that were conducted independently. All four Subtasks investigated environmental effects on corrosion properties of Alloy 22. The four Subtasks that were investigated are as follows: Subtask 1: Experimental Determination of Parameters for the General Corrosion Model. Subtask 2: Corrosion under Dust Deposits Containing Hygroscopic Salts. Subtask 3: Heated Electrode Approach for the Study of Corrosion Under Aggressive Conditions. Subtask 4: Effect of Hydrogen Permeation on the Stability of the Passive Film of Alloy 22.

Final Report: Nevada System Of Higher Education Quality Assurance Program, Nevada System Of Higher Education

Publications (YM)

The principal purpose of the cooperative agreement was to develop and continue providing the public and the Office of Repository Development (ORD) of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) with an independently derived, unbiased body of scientific and engineering data concerning the study of Yucca Mountain as a potential high-level radioactive waste repository. Under this agreement, the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), formerly the University and Community CollegeSystem of Nevada (UCCSN), performed scientific and engineering research, and maintained and fostered collaborative working relationships between government and academic researchers. In performing these activities, …

Groundwater Characterization At Yucca Mountain Task 2: Surface Complexation And Solid Phase Sorption, Kenneth Czerwinski, Anthony Hechanova, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The purpose and scope of this report is to present an overview of the experiments, methods, results, and conclusions from research performed for the project “Groundwater Characterization at Yucca Mountain Task 2: Surface Complexation and Solid Phase Dissolution”. The impact of surface complexation, alteration phase formation, and solution competition with metal ions on the solubility and speciation of actinide elements (U, Pu, Np) will be examined. In particular the role of iron (as Fe2+ and Fe3+) and silicate (as SO3 2-) concentrations on speciation, solubility, sorption, and secondary phase formation of actinides will be investigated. While a large body of …

Direct Analysis Of Solid Corrosion Products By Laser Ablation Icp-Ms: Method Development And The Interaction Of Aqueous Uranium, Gadolinium And Neodymium With Iron Shot And Iron (Iii) Oxide, James Cizdziel, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The purpose of this report is to summarize the work and present conclusions of Project Activity Task ORD-RF-03 conducted under cooperative agreement number DE-FC28-04RW12237 between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). The work was conducted in the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies of the University of Nevada Las Vegas from October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2006. The purpose of the study was to develop a method using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for the direct analysis of iron corrosion products, to evaluate its capabilities, advantages, and limitations, and …

Basic Research Needs For Geosciences: Facilitating 21st Century Energy Systems, U.S. Department Of Energy, Office Of Basic Energy Sciences, Donald J. Depaolo, Franklin M. Orr Jr.

Publications (YM)

Executive Summary

Serious challenges must be faced in this century as the world seeks to meet global energy needs and at the same time reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Even with a growing energy supply from alternative sources, fossil carbon resources will remain in heavy use and will generate large volumes of carbon dioxide (CO₂). To reduce the atmospheric impact of this fossil energy use, it is necessary to capture and sequester a substantial fraction of the produced CO₂. Subsurface geologic formations offer a potential location for long-term storage of the requisite large …

Chemical Analyses In Support Of Yucca Mountain Studies, Harry Reid Center For Environmental Studies, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Publications (YM)

Research Objectives:

Provide preparation of injectates, sorption studies and analyses for tracer tests

Provide REE, trace metals, majors and field measurement data from wells of the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program (NCEWDP)and Inyo County

Other laboratory needs as they arise

Geostatistical And Stochastic Study Of Radio Nuclide Transport In The Unsaturated Zone At Yucca Mountain, Ming Ye, Amy J. Smiecinski, Raymond E. Keeler

Publications (YM)

The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board [Cohon et al. 1998] evaluated the technical and scientific validity of activities undertaken by the Secretary of Energy to characterize Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for its suitability as an underground repository in which to store high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. In the report, the Board pinpointed that the study on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport in the saturated and unsaturated zones below Yucca Mountain should, over the next several years, focus on reducing prediction uncertainty. In its 2002, the Board repeated this concern by stating, “… hydrogeologic processes that affect radionuclide transport …

Determining The Redox Properties Of Yucca Mountain-Related Groundwater Using Trace Element Speciation For Predicting The Mobility Of Nuclear Waste, James Cizdziel, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The objective of this task is to determine the principal oxidation state (redox) species of select elements in samples of groundwater in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain (YM), which is being evaluated as a site for geologic storage of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste. Samples to be analyzed include, but are not limited to, groundwater from wells of the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program. Elements to be studied include arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), and uranium (U). The …

Impact Of Alteration Phase Formation And Microbial Activity On The Fate And Transport Of The Actinides And Fission Products: Alteration Phase Analysis, James Cizdziel, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Thomas Williams, Abe Van Luik

Publications (YM)

The study of the behavior and movement of radionuclides in the environment is significant to many projects of interest to Southern Nevada, especially for the proposed Yucca Mountain Repository, as well as to the nation-wide issues of radiological releases from a variety of scenarios. Understanding and predicting the release, transport, and fate of radionuclides, particularly the actinide elements, in the Mojave/Great Basin geology is an extremely challenging, multi-faceted problem. In support of the national program to deepen our understanding of the behavior of radionuclides in the environment and to better predict the performance of a geological repository at Yucca Mountain, …

Characterization Of Microbial Activity, Mark P. Buttner, Patricia Cruz, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Abe Van Luik, Thomas Williams, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The overall goal of this study is to investigate the phenomena that affect the fate and transport of radionuclides in the environment. The objective of this task, “Characterization of Microbial Activity”, is to develop a molecular biological method for the characterization of the microbial population indigenous to the Yucca Mountain Project site, with emphasis in detection and measurement of species or groups of microorganisms that could be involved in actinide and/or metal reduction, and subsurface transport. Subtasks consist of QA planning and preparation, and literature review. This task is part of a cooperative agreement between the UNLV Research Foundation and …

Chemical Analyses In Support Of Yucca Mountain Studies, Jeanette Daniels, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Drew Coleman, Amy J. Smiecinski, Raymond E. Keeler

Publications (YM)

The objective of this task “Chemical Analyses in Support of Yucca Mountain Studies” is to provide the Department of Energy (DOE) with data and reports from comprehensive chemical analyses of waters sampled from the wells of the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program (NCEWDP), the Inyo County’s Drilling Program, and the Nye county Tracer Test. In addition, this task will be used to provide other laboratory support needs as they arise within the Yucca Mountain Project. This support is provided by the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), which is part of …

Chemical Analyses For Alcove 8/Niche 3 Tracer Studies, Jeanette Daniels, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Drew Coleman, Don Baepler, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The objective of this task “Analytical Support For Tracer Studies in Alcove 8 / Niche 3” is to provide chemical analyses for the tracer studies at Alcove 8 / Niche 3 in the Exploratory Studies Facilities (ESF). This analytical support includes developing procedures for measuring tracer concentrations and then performing the tracer (and other background constituent) analyses for the water samples generated from each Alcove 8 / Niche 3 tracer test. These tracer tests are part of the Flow and Seepage Testing in Alcove 8/Niche 3 (TWP-NBS-HS-000004 REV 00). The overall goal of this study is to quantify large scale …

Support For The Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program, Irene Farnham, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

This final report details the activities completed for Task 8 of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) Cooperative Agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE). Task 8, titled "Support for the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program" provided for a variety of hydrochemical analyses. The requirements of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) Quality Assurance (QA) Program were followed for all work performed on this task. The primary activity performed by the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) for Task 8 was to provide hydrochemical analyses of the groundwater samples collected from …

Redox Scale For Assigning An Oxidizing/Reducing Potential To Groundwater: Method Development And Initial Results, Julie Bertoia, Vernon Hodge, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

This report outlines the progress on Task 33 of the Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Cooperative Agreement with the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN). The task is titled "The Experimental Determination of a "Redox Scale" for Assigning an Oxidizing/Reducing Potential to Groundwater from Wells in the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program: A Scale for Predicting the Solubility and Mobility of Elements Commonly Found in Nuclear Wastes". The purpose of the research was to determine the concentrations of the various electrochemical oxidation states or redox species of eleven elements in groundwater samples collected from the Nye County …

Chemical Analyses For Alcove 8 Niche 3 Tracer Studies, Irene Farnham, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

This report details the activities performed under Task 35 of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) Cooperative Agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE). Task 35, titled "Chemical Analyses for Alcove 8 / Niche 3 Tracer Studies", provided for the development of analytical procedures and the analysis of samples from the first phase of tracer testing at Alcove 8 / Niche 3 in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF). Two conservative tracers (bromide and pentafluorobenzoic acid) and three FD&C dye tracers (FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #5, and FD&C Red #40) were analyzed in the seepage samples …

Corrosion And Mass Transport Processes In Carbon Steel Miniature Waste Packages, James Cizdziel, Kaveh Zarrabi, Susan Lestrange, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

In this study, we have systematically investigated corrosion and mass transport processes in carbon steel miniature waste packages (MWP) in dynamic systems (water in, water out) under varying chemical conditions. The MWP were fabricated to have similar configuration to the DOE Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) waste package and that individual components to be in scale with each other compare to the SNF waste package. Two MWP configurations were studied: a "bathtub" model and a "flow-through" model. By slowly dripping 4 different solutions (groundwater obtained from well water J-13 located near Yucca Mountain, and J-13 water adjusted to low-pH, high-salinity, and …

Preliminary Geochemical Evaluation Of Groundwaters From Wells Of The Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program, Irene Farnham, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

As part of the Yucca Mountain Oversight program, the Nye County Nuclear Waste Repository Project Office (NWRPO) has established a groundwater monitoring program to protect groundwater resources for the residents of Nye County in Amargosa and Pahrump Valleys. This groundwater monitoring program, referred to as the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program (NCEWDP), involves drilling a series of wells down-gradient from Yucca Mountain for long term groundwater monitoring and also to provide much needed geologic and hydrologic information in this area. A comprehensive database of aquifer parameters in the alluvial, volcanic, and carbonate aquifers down-gradient hydrogeologically of Yucca Mountain is …