Closure seal for Basalt repository: High level waste containers and closure head

The United States government has established a program for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982 requires the first nuclear waste repository to begin receiving high-level radioactive waste in 1998. One of the potentially acceptable sites currently being evaluated is the Hanford Site in the Pasco Basin in the state of Washington where the host rock is basalt. Under the direction of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Rockwell International's Rockwell Hanford Operations (RHO) has initiated the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP). The BWIP must design waste packages for emplacement in the repository. This paper describes the selection of suitable potential joining processes for the closure head. In accomplishing this work, consideration has been given to: electron beam welding, narrow gap welding, and the brazing process. The conclusion of the work performed indicates that among the three closure seal processes, electron beam welding and brazing appear best suited for this application. Brazing will require additional testing to establish its feasibility. Development and demonstration will be required for the selected process