Pelletized-waste-form demonstration program, October 1981-March 1982

During the last six months, the performance testing of plutonium-238 oxide spiked waste/cement pellets was continued. All fractional leach rates observed were normal with one exception. The leach rate of ash/cement pellets in deionized water was approx. 40 times normal due to a freeze/thaw of the leachant when the building heating system failed. The hot demonstration of the production pelletization line was accomplished with few difficulties. Three types of pellets were produced at a 96% pellet acceptance rate. The pelletization problems experienced with calcined ash of very fine average particle size were solved by the addition of 25 to 30 mesh/in. sand (SiO2). The transportability (vibration) testing of approx. 100 nCi/g ash/cement pellets proved that the stacked method was much superior to the random configuration. The amount of fines generated during a 90-min test was 100 times greater in the random test