Influence of β radiation on the UO2 dissolution at different pH

If a failure of the spent nuclear fuel container is assumed to occur during the first 1000 years after the final disposal, ss radiation has to be considered in the conceptual model. However, the influence of ss radiation separated from α or γ radiation on the dissolution of the spent nuclear fuel has not been extensively studied. The study of the effect of ss radiation on the UO2 dissolution will help to understand the results obtained in spent fuel leaching experiments and might be useful to improve the databases of the radiolytical models. For this reason, we have studied the dissolution of non irradiated uranium dioxide, as a chemical analogue of the spent nuclear fuel, under external ss irradiation using a sequential methodology. (orig.)