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DOE OSTI2020

Analysis of Respirator Cartridge Performance Testing on Hanford Tank BY-108 (Rev.1)

Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) conducted tests using two types of chemical cartridges for use in air purifying respirators to determine the period of time that the cartridges would provide adequate protection to worker when exposed to a mixture of Chemicals of Potential Concern (COPCs) from vapors emanating from the headspace of tank BY-108 on the Hanford Site. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was tasked with conducting an independent analysis of the analytical results and making recommendations based on the results for respiratory cartridge performance and change schedules.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2019

Gas Generation Testing of Crystalline Silicotitanate Ion Exchange Media

The Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) process has been proposed to support early production of immobilized low-activity waste (LAW) at the Hanford site. As planned, Hanford tank waste would be sent to the Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system for solids removal (by filtration) and cesium removal (by ion exchange) during the initial phase of the DFLAW process. The resultant treated waste would be delivered to the LAW Vitrification Facility at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) for immobilization. The ongoing technology maturation of TSCR system components is being conducted by Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS). The ion exchange process in the TSCR system will use columns of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) to remove cesium from the LAW. This report describes gas generation testing of the crystalline silicotitanate ion exchange media that was conducted to strengthen the technical basis of the media for use in the TSCR system. Specifically, the described study will inform the safety basis of both the operation of the TSCR system and the interim storage condition of the TSCR ion exchange columns after loading. Previous data on gas generation of CST are limited to a handful of studies using CST or similar media under unrepresentative conditions and durations. The safety basis underlying operation and storage of the CST columns needs to consider the rate and extent of radiolytic flammable gas generation. No existing studies provide a comprehensive set of gas generation data for column operating and storage conditions representative of those expected for TSCR. To address the data gap, this study was conducted under the following conditions (each in duplicate): (1) CST in water at 25°C tested to 300 Mrad total dose, (2) wet CST (soaked in water, then free-drained) at 25°C tested to both 300 Mrad and 900 Mrad total dose, (3) dry CST (air-dried, free-flowing material equilibrated to laboratory conditions) at 25°C tested to both 300 Mrad and 900 Mrad total dose, (4) CST in 5.6M Na simulant at 25°C tested to 300 Mrad total dose, and (5) CST in 5.6M Na simulant with 1% (w/w) total organic carbon as Na 3 -HEDTA at 25°C and 70°C tested to 300 Mrad total dose. For each of the listed conditions, the generation of the following gas species was measured: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrous oxide, and methane. The test data was used to determine the amount of gas generated (total and on a per-component basis), gas generation rates normalized to the CST bed volume tested, and G-values for each gas species. The reported results illustrate that the CST-in-water condition bounds the gas generation rate (at 25°C) of all other conditions, but there is some variability in the hydrogen G-value, depending on the lot of CST tested and the amount of residual moisture present at the start of the test.

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DOE OSTI2018

Hanford Tank Farm Occupational Exposure and Risk Assessment Plan: Health Process Project (Rev.1)

The overall objective of the Hanford Tank Farm Occupational Exposure and Risk Assessment Plan (hereafter referred to as the “Assessment Plan”) is to provide the Tank Operations Contractor (TOC), Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with a plan for developing a transparent, peer-reviewed process for assessing potential health risks associated with worker exposures to chemical emissions from the Hanford tank farms. Revision 1 (2018) incorporates changes to the original draft plan prepared in 2016 to reflect updated strategies based on initial implementation of the recommended actions.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗

DOE OSTI2019

Gas Generation Testing of Crystalline Silicotitanate Ion Exchange Media

The Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) process has been proposed to support early production of immobilized low-activity waste (LAW) at the Hanford site. As planned, Hanford tank waste would be sent to the Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system for solids removal (by filtration) and cesium removal (by ion exchange) during the initial phase of the DFLAW process. The resultant treated waste would be delivered to the LAW Vitrification Facility at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) for immobilization. The ongoing technology maturation of TSCR system components is being conducted by Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS). The ion exchange process in the TSCR system will use columns of crystalline silicotitanate (CST) to remove cesium from the LAW. This report describes gas generation testing of the crystalline silicotitanate ion exchange media that was conducted to strengthen the technical basis of the media for use in the TSCR system. Specifically, the described study will inform the safety basis of both the operation of the TSCR system and the interim storage condition of the TSCR ion exchange columns after loading. Previous data on gas generation of CST are limited to a handful of studies using CST or similar media under unrepresentative conditions and durations. The safety basis underlying operation and storage of the CST columns needs to consider the rate and extent of radiolytic flammable gas generation. No existing studies provide a comprehensive set of gas generation data for column operating and storage conditions representative of those expected for TSCR. To address the data gap, this study was conducted under the following conditions (each in duplicate): (1) CST in water at 25°C tested to 300 Mrad total dose, (2) wet CST (soaked in water, then free-drained) at 25°C tested to both 300 Mrad and 900 Mrad total dose, (3) dry CST (air-dried, free-flowing material equilibrated to laboratory conditions) at 25°C tested to both 300 Mrad and 900 Mrad total dose, (4) CST in 5.6M Na simulant at 25°C tested to 300 Mrad total dose, and (5) CST in 5.6M Na simulant with 1%(w/w) total organic carbon as Na3-HEDTA at 25°C and 70°C tested to 300 Mrad total dose. For each of the listed conditions, the generation of the following gas species was measured: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrous oxide, and methane. The test data was used to determine the amount of gas generated (total and on a per component basis), gas generation rates normalized to the CST bed volume tested, and G-values for each gas species. The reported results illustrate that the CST in water condition bounds the gas generation rate (at 25°C) of all other conditions, but there is some variability in the hydrogen G-value, depending on the lot of CST tested and the amount of residual moisture present at the start of the test.

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DOE OSTI2022

Ion Exchange Processing of AP-105 Hanford Tank Waste through Crystalline Silicotitanate in a Staged 2- then 3-Column System (Rev.1)

The Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system, under development by Washington River Protection Solutions LLC (WRPS), will send initial low-activity Hanford waste tank supernate feeds to the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility. In addition to entrained solids removal from the supernate, the primary goal of TSCR is to remove cesium-137 ( 137 Cs) by ion exchange, allowing contact handling of the liquid effluent product at the WTP. Crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange media, manufactured by Honeywell UOP, LLC (product IONSIVTM R9140-B), was selected as the ion exchange media at TSCR. CST is a non-elutable inorganic material that has demonstrated robust chemical, physical, and radiation tolerance while maintaining functionality. However, exchange kinetics of Cs onto CST is slow, resulting in low utilization of the CST Cs load capacity before unacceptable Cs breakthrough. Two process flow designs have been tested, as follows. 1. Lead-lag column processing: The lead column was removed after the lag column effluent reached the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) limit, the lag column was moved into the lead position, and a new lag column was installed. This format used ~52% Cs load capacity on the lead column. 2. Lead-lag-polish column processing: The processing was stopped when the polish column effluent reached the WAC limit. This format resulted in 81% Cs load capacity on the lead column. Testing with diluted feed from Hanford tank AP-105 (AP-105DF) incorporated a nuanced change to the lead-lag-polish column system where the polish column was inserted when the lag column effluent reached WAC limit. A 10.9-L volume of AP-105DF (diluted to 5.6 M Na) was processed through the Direct Feed Test Platform system, established at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to support small-scale waste qualification efforts. The columns consisted of 10-mL CST beds (CST Lot 2002009604, sieved to screen out >30-mesh particles) placed in 1.5-cm-inner-diameter columns. Feed was processed at 1.83 bed volumes (BV) per hour; the flowrate, in terms of contact time with the CST bed, matched the expected flowrate at TSCR. The <30-mesh CST sieve cut was expected to provide appropriate performance scaling to a full-height column. The installation of the polish column later in processing (after processing 523 BVs) did not appear to fundamentally change the utilization of the lead column for Cs exchange nor did it extend the total feed processing volume when compared to the previous test with AP-107 feed. Table ES.1 and Figure ES.1 summarize the measured AP-105DF Cs load performance.

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DOE OSTI2023

Cesium Removal from 5.5 and 7.0 M Na AP-105 Using Crystalline Silicotitanate

The Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system, currently operational by Washington River Protection Solutions LLC (WRPS), prepares initial low-activity Hanford waste tank supernate feeds for the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility. In addition to entrained solids removal from the supernate, the primary goal of TSCR is to remove cesium-137 ( 137 Cs) by ion exchange, allowing contact handling of the liquid effluent product at the WTP as governed by a waste acceptance criterion (WAC). Specific to 137 Cs, this requirement is < 3.18E-5 Ci 137 Cs/mole of Na. Crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange media, manufactured by Honeywell UOP, LLC (product IONSIVTM R9140-B), has been selected as the ion exchange media for TSCR. CST is a non-elutable inorganic material that has demonstrated robust chemical, physical, and radiation tolerance while maintaining functionality. However, testing to date on actual tank waste samples has been limited to Na concentrations between 5 and 6 M Na (Fiskum et al. 2019a, 2021b and Westesen et al. 2021a, 2021b, 2022) while actual tank conditions can reach upwards of 9 M Na. Testing with feed from Hanford tank AP-105 incorporated testing at both 5.5 and 7 M Na in order to evaluate the impact of Na concentration on volume of waste processed before reaching the WAC. A 6-L volume of 5.5 M Na AP-105 and an 8-volume of 7 M Na AP-105 was processed through the Radioactive Waste Test Platform system, established at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to support small-scale waste qualification efforts. The columns consisted of 6- to 9-mL CST beds (CST Lot 2002009604, sieved to screen out >30-mesh particles) placed in 1.5-cm-inner-diameter columns. Feed was processed at 1.9 bed volumes (BV) per hour; the flowrate, in terms of contact time with the CST bed, matched the expected flowrate at TSCR. Table S.1 and Figure S.1 summarize the measured AP-105 Cs load performance for each feed condition.

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DOE OSTI2016

Alternate Retrieval A-105 Application Assessment Report

This report summarizes the historical development of the Confined Sluicing End Effector (CSEE) technology as well scarification technology. We also summarize the systems integration and deployment of that technology in the Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT) at the Oak Ridge Reservation where the retrieval system successfully removed the remaining sludge and heel in the eight tanks for tank closure and disposition. We also summarize the lessons learned from the deployment at Oak Ridge. Simulant development and testing have been key activities for any waste retrieval effort as many of the physical properties of the waste are unknown; therefore, this report discusses a bounding series of simulants that helps to reduce uncertainty for operations. These simulants have been developed for potential Hanford waste retrieval deployment. The potential key attributes for retrieval, based upon information provided by Washington River Protection Services (WRPS), of single-shell tank A-105 are discussed along with the potential application of CSEE technology to the challenges presented by the unique nature of A-105. These unique features include a major tear in the bottom of the tank, which necessitates technologies other than past practice sluicing to be deployed to prevent further intrusion of waste into the vadose zone. In addition, significant in-tank hardware makes A-105 particular challenging. However, there appear to be a number of parameters that should be investigated through additional testing or review of prior testing that may demonstrate the applicability of the CSEE technology to A-105. Testing of the Waste Retrieval End Effector (WREE), which was based on the original CSEE design, to demonstrate the ability to remove sludge and hardpan from Tank 241-C-106 will be reviewed to determine relevance to the Tank A-105 retrieval. There may be new requirements for the deployment system that accesses the tank with the CSEE because the tank bottom may not be flat, requiring the ability to maneuver the CSEE to maintain the appropriate stand-off distance from the CSEE and the tank bottom. Finally, we provide a set of recommendations, a set of task descriptions, and a range of estimated costs for a demonstration of the technology by the end of FY17. These tasks are summarized as: Complete system-level functional requirements; Procure or access the capacity to perform; Generate simulant development and simulant testing; Develop CSEE functionality; Develop demonstration plan; Perform demonstration; Analyze and document testing results; Perform project management and engineering.

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DOE OSTI2023

Cesium Removal from SY-101 Tank Waste Using Crystalline Silicotitanate

The newly operational Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system removes radioactive cesium-137 ( 137 Cs) and solids from tank waste supernate in the 200 east area of the Hanford site. Efforts to expand the removal capabilities to the 200 west area are underway by a system anticipated to be called the West Area Risk Management (WARM) system. Laboratory-scale ion exchange processing using expected WARM unit operations were conducted to contribute toward Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) establishing accurate process flowsheets for the individual feed campaigns planned for the west area supernate pretreatment. This report describes the small-scale ion exchange testing with 8.0 L of filtered supernate from tank 241-SY-101 (referred to as SY-101) at 16 °C (62 °F) to demonstrate processing conditions that would be prototypic of what the WARM system may experience. One of the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) for the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) Low-Activity Waste Facility is that the waste must contain less than 3.18×10 -5 Ci 137 Cs per mole of Na. For the SY-101 tank waste to meet this criterion, only 0.44% of the influent 137 Cs concentration may be delivered to the WTP; this requires a Cs decontamination factor of 227. Testing with SY-101 matched current TSCR prototypic operations where a lead-lag configuration is used until the lag column reached the WAC limit. Neither the lead nor lag columns reached the WAC, so a polish column was never utilized during this test. Feed was processed at 1.9 bed volumes (BVs) per hour; the flowrate, in terms of contact time with the crystalline silicotitate (CST) bed, matched the current flowrate at TSCR (an expected flowrate to be used at WARM). The lead column only reached 0.09% Cs breakthrough after processing ~1363 BVs of feed. Cesium breakthrough from the lag column was not observed during the entire processing. Table S.1 and Figure S.1 summarize the observed column performance and relevant Cs loading characteristics. Table S.1 and Figure S.1 also summarize the measured SY-101 Cs load performance.

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DOE OSTI2023

Vitrification of Hanford Tank 241-AP-105 Waste at 7 M Na and Equivalent Simulant

Hanford Site nuclear waste is to be vitrified at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), which is a part of the safe and efficient retrieval, treatment, and disposal mission of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of River Protection. Hanford tank 241-AP-105 (referred to herein as AP-105) is one of the initial Hanford radioactive tank wastes planned to be processed and vitrified. A portion of AP-105 waste was retrieved by Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) and transferred to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The waste went through dilution by Columbia River water to reach a target sodium (Na) concentration of 7 M, solids filtration, and cesium removal by ion exchange. A glass composition was calculated from the Kim et al. glass models to satisfy the WTP baseline requirements based on the as-received sample and the target dilution to 7 M, from which a simulant was calculated and glass forming chemical (GFC) additions were determined to form a liquid/solids mixture called melter feed. To prepare for the processing of the 7 M Na AP-105 waste melter feed and learn about the production expectations, the melter feed simulant of 7 M Na AP-105 waste was processed in a non-radioactive, continuous laboratory-scale melter (CLSM) system.

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DOE OSTI2022

Tank Waste LDR Organics Data Summary for Sample-and-Send (Rev.1A)

The presence of organic chemicals regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) adds complexity to treating and disposing of the low activity fraction of Hanford tank waste if a low temperature treatment method such as grouting is used (SRNL-STI-2020-00228). The complexity arises from the fact that the baseline vitrification method is considered by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) as providing adequate thermal treatment for organics; a status not automatically extended to a lowtemperature process, such as solidifying the waste in a cementitious waste form. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) LDR program is intended to ensure that wastes are properly treated prior to disposal. Proper treatment makes hazardous waste less harmful to groundwater by reducing the mobility and/or toxicity of the hazardous constituents in the waste. EPA guidance indicates that stabilization/solidification of waste for organics could be considered impermissible dilution under the LDR dilution prohibition. In addition, waste storage activities at Hanford have required transferring and blending waste within the tank system and these activities have potentially altered the concentrations of the hazardous constituents. The LDR dilution prohibition found in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 268.3 states that “… no generator, transporter, handler, or owner or operator of a treatment, storage, or disposal facility shall in any way dilute a restricted waste or the residual from treatment of a restricted waste as a substitute for adequate treatment …”. Hence, if LAW is to be treated using low temperature stabilization (such as cementation), then it is important to demonstrate both how past storage activities have contributed to the removal (by vacuum evaporation), or destruction (by in situ decomposition) of the LDR organics and how future retrieval and waste feed preparation will contribute to their removal (by filtration and ion exchange). Demonstrating these processes helps validate that cementation without additional organic treatment does not necessarily represent impermissible dilution. To aid in implementing cementitious solidification of Low Activity Waste (LAW), WRPS has been developing a regulatory and processing LDR treatment variance strategy termed “Sampleand-Send” that relies, in part, on demonstrating that in situ decomposition reactions along with historic evaporation of tank waste has destroyed or removed most of the LDR organics possibly associated with Hanford Tank Waste (SRNL-STI-2020-00582, SRNL-STI-2021-00453, SRNL-STI-2022-00391). Under the Sample-and-Send concept, Hanford tank waste would be retrieved, processed through a Tank-Side Cesium Removal-like system, and staged as a candidate feed that would then be sampled to confirm the waste acceptance criteria is met for solidification in an LAW cementitious treatment facility. If it can be shown that LDR organics are at concentrations below the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) for cementitious stabilization and have been sufficiently removed (by historic evaporation or by filtration and ion exchange during Cs removal), destroyed (by historic in situ decomposition), or are not soluble in LAW above the WAC then additional organic treatment is not needed prior to creating a cementitious final waste form and the concept of Sample-and-Send would be proposed to establish a non-rulemaking site-specific treatment variance using the specified method of treatment “STABL” to remove sampling requirements of the waste form after treatment. Waste not meeting the WAC could either be routed to the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant for LAW vitrification, or further processed by evaporation or chemical oxidation before solidifying in a cementitious waste form. A key component in implementing the Sample-and-Send strategy is identifying which of the 207 LDR organic compounds associated with the RCRA Part A permit application waste codes for the Double Shell Tanks (DSTs) and Single Shell Tanks (SSTs) and any applicable Underlying Hazardous Constituents (UHCs) from 40 CFR 268.48 should be considered as potentially present and thus subject to regulation. In addition, it is also necessary to understand the solubility volatility, and reactivity of these compounds in LAW to identify which of the potentially present LDR organic compounds are not soluble above regulatory levels or are likely to have been removed by historic evaporation or destroyed by in situ decomposition reactions. If there are potentially present LDR organic compounds that have not been removed or destroyed and are soluble above regulatorily significant concentrations then a treatability variance may be needed for these species to eliminate any concerns pertaining to impermissible dilution. The spreadsheet accompanying this calculation report contains the data and logic computations needed to screen the list of 207 LDR organics associated with Hanford tank waste to identify those potentially present and to indicate which compounds may need to be included in a treatability variance.

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DOE OSTI2023

Screening Evaluation of Sovereign NOH2O

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) was contracted by Sovereign Hydroseal Energy, Inc to provide evaluation of the NOH2O polymer grout technology as a feasible tank bottom repair in support of Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) Solicitation #358012 Statement of Work (SOW) “Screening Evaluation of Sovereign NOH2O”, which a copy is located in Appendix A. The evaluation focused on screening the mechanical properties of NOH2O under normal, chemical and radiological conditions, which was identified as Task 2 of the SOW. Testing was performed in accordance with the SwRI Test Plan located in Appendix B.

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DOE OSTI2024

Full Scale HEPA Filter Encapsulation in Ultra-High-Performance Grout - Proof of Concept

The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) currently being constructed to treat radioactive waste, includes vitrification facilities for both the high-level waste (HLW) and low activity waste (LAW) fractions. Operation of the WTP will produce contaminated high-efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA), as part of the solid secondary waste (SSW) stream. The HEPA filters receive off-gas from the vessel vent header and primary off-gas treatment system in LAW Facility and remove particulate contaminants including 99 Tc and 129 I salts. The current disposal method for HEPA filters is encapsulation in metal containers using cementitious material (CM) and disposal in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). Results from the 2017 IDF Performance Assessment (PA) WRPS (2018) demonstrated that while compliance is maintained for the 1000 year compliance period mandated by DOE O 435.1 and its accompanying manual, release of constituents from the HEPA filters result in exceedance of the performance objective imposed as the groundwater regulatory limit at later times. For example, at about 1500 years post-closure, solid secondary waste (SSW), including HEPA filters is predicted to become a dominant contributor to 99 Tc release and over the 10,000-year sensitivity analysis period, SSW is the dominant contributor of 129 I release to the groundwater. The estimated release could potentially be reduced if the HEPA filters are not compacted and waste containers could be distributed throughout a large space, thereby diluting the contaminant release. Additionally, a better cementitious material could be used to encapsulate the HEPA filters. One alternative method for disposal of contaminated HEPA filters is encapsulation of the filters in ultra high-performance grout (UHPG). UHPG is a variation of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is commonly used in the prestressed concrete industry for large structural members. Recent studies of UHPG show it has excellent properties for containing radionuclides such as 99 Tc and 129 I Nichols and Kaplan (2021). This report presents the results of the first attempt to encapsulate a clean, full-size HEPA filter in UHPG and evaluate the effectiveness of the immobilization process and final waste form. A full-scale proof-of-concept simulated waste form was prepared by encapsulating a HEPA filter in a 110-gallon stainless steel (SS) drum using UHPG. A change from Type I/II PC to Type 1L PLC was made after American Rock Products informed the team that they would no longer be using Type I/II by the end of 2024 and the northwest was phasing out Type I/II PC overall. Type I/II PC used in previous studies of UHPG for encapsulation (Nichols and Kaplan 2021). After the UHPG was cured both the scaled mockup and the full-scale simulated waste forms were sectioned for visual examination. UHPG completely encapsulated the filters and bonded to the external surfaces of materials comprising the filters. No cracks were observed in the sectioned waste forms.

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DOE OSTI2024

Vitrification of Hanford Tank 241-AN-107 Waste and Equivalent Simulant

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DOE OSTI2024

ILAW Container Cost Reduction and Optimization Study

This study, performed on behalf of Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), examines the potential for making cost savings for the Immobilized Low Active Waste (ILAW) containers over the mission life of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). it builds on earlier study assessments 24590-LAW-RPT-M-01-001 Rev 0 ILAW Product Container Specifications Optimization Study and DOE/ORP-2013-02 Rev 0 Decision Analysis of Low-Active Waste Container Finishing Handling System Alternatives. The WTP design and installed equipment has evolved over an extended period ~20 years. Consequently, some of the existing requirements relating the ILAW containers may no longer be applicable under current mission plans where the glass filled containers are placed into the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) rather than stacked in an engineered purpose-built ventilated store as originally envisioned. The study team reviewed available WTP project reference documents to establish the functions the container must perform and assign requirements against each of these functions. With the assumptions that some of the existing WTP contract restrictions would not necessarily apply to the subsequent facility operations contract the container requirements were reviewed to identify those which were ‘hard constraints‘, imposed by regulatory requirements. Initially each of these hard constraints were reviewed, evaluated and documented to see if they precluded the use of an alternate less expensive material of construction, carbon steel, to the existing 304 L stainless steel in the current container specification. That review did not generate any fatal flaws for a change in material of construction to carbon steel allowing the study team to examine the impacts of material cost savings, potential changes to the design and requirements and impacts on interfaces of the containers with the existing WTP process equipment from container receipt, transfers, glass filling, cooling and export. In addition, a change in container target fill level was evaluated and qualitative, and quantitative where feasible, impacts to the container fabrication process assessed. Lastly, additional follow on development or testing activities to support the use of carbon steel were assessed and a recommended path forward with a ROM cost and timescale developed.

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DOE OSTI2024

Nitrate and Nitrite at Hanford – From Tanks to Natural Attenuation

Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) contracted Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in support of their maturation testing and analysis to develop and deploy an ambient temperature solidification/stabilization process for low-activity waste (LAW) (referred to as “grout” in this report). The intent of this effort is to support a sample-and-send regulatory and processing strategy in the Hanford 200 West Area, specifically considering grout waste forms disposal at Hanford in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). Currently the disposal of grouted LAW is not an option because the IDF is not permitted to receive this waste form. The material presented in this report is intended to help inform the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the site operating contractors, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders of the future implications of IDF disposal of a grouted LAW waste form, specifically for the behavior of nitrate (NO 3 - ) and nitrite (NO 2 - ) at the Hanford. The only calculation of nitrate release from a hypothetical grouted LAW inventory in the IDF showed that the overall release was slightly above the compliance limit of 45 mg/L nitrate and 3.32 mg/L nitrate after 1000 years (Asmussen et al. 2019). As such, uncertainty around the impact of nitrate and nitrite release from the IDF was identified in the recent National Academies of Sciences study of Hanford supplemental LAW by both the national laboratory team and Hanford stakeholders (Bates et al. 2023). However, these calculations (and others for the IDF involving secondary waste grout) may be conservative as no nitrate and nitrite retention in the grout waste form was assumed, nor any attenuation in the subsurface. There is evidence from the literature of processes that can attenuate nitrate migration both in the waste form and in the Hanford subsurface. If found to be technically defensible and likely to occur in the IDF and associated subsurface, then these processes should be included in modeling of the IDF to represent the behavior of nitrate and nitrite more accurately. Doing so would remove unnecessary conservatism in the modeling projections and reduce the uncertainty in assessments of facility compliance of a grouted LAW waste form in the IDF.

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DOE OSTI2025

FY24 Development of Improved Grout Waste Forms for Alternative Low Activity Waste Treatment

Since the WTP Low Activity Waste (LAW) Vitrification Facility was not designed to process the entire inventory of Hanford LAW, up to half of the retrieved Hanford LAW will require supplemental immobilization. Immobilizing LAW in a cementitious waste form known as Cast Stone has been investigated as a possible candidate supplemental immobilization technology. In FY21, Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) tasked Atkins and the Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) of The Catholic University of America (CUA) to perform testing to evaluate methods for reducing the release of COCs, particularly nitrate, 99Tc, and 129I, from cementitious waste forms made from aqueous LAW derived from Hanford Tank Waste. FY22 work built on the FY21 results and further developed formulations while targeting higher waste loadings. The objective of this work was to perform laboratory-scale testing to further refine the most promising formulation(s) that were identified in the FY23 work. The goal of the refinement was to further reduce the release rates for 99Tc, Cr, 129I, and nitrate while maintaining workability of the fresh grout, and to increase waste loading.

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DOE OSTI2013

Vitrification Tests with Potential Technetium Capture Streams

About 50 million gallons of high-level waste is currently stored in underground tanks at The United States Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford site in the State of Washington. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will provide DOE’s Office of River Protection (ORP) with a means of treating this waste by vitrification for subsequent disposal. The tank waste will be separated into low- and high-activity waste fractions, which will then be vitrified respectively into Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) and Immobilized High Level Waste (IHLW) products. The ILAW product will be disposed in an engineered facility on the Hanford site while the IHLW product is designed for acceptance at a national deep geological disposal facility for high-level nuclear waste. The ILAW and IHLW products must meet a variety of requirements with respect to protection of the environment before they can be accepted for disposal. The Low Activity Waste (LAW) and High-Level Waste (HLW) at Hanford will be vitrified in Joule Heated Ceramic Melters (JHCMs) to produce stable products for disposal. Technetium is an important radioactive component in the Hanford tank waste and is typically one of the principal contributors to risk in performance assessments for the ILAW disposal facility. Technetium is also one of the more volatile radionuclides and the retention of technetium in the glass under the high temperature conditions prevailing during vitrification can vary over a relatively wide range depending on the feed composition, feed chemistry, and melter operating parameters. In support of the WTP Project, the Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) at The Catholic University of America (CUA) and EnergySolutions have developed and tested glass formulations for WTP waste envelopes to provide data to meet the WTP contract requirements and to support system design activities. That work is based upon small-scale batch melts (“crucible melts”) using waste simulants. Glass compositions suitable for processing the tank waste streams for the WTP have been identified and tested for processing and product quality requirements at various scales, ranging from crucible melts of a few grams, up to the LAW Pilot Melter at processing rates in excess of 6600 kg/day (2000 kg/m 2 /day). Recent testing performed at VSL for Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) has investigated the baseline “single-pass” retention of technetium over the range of WTP LAW feed compositions and glass formulations as well as the development of potential modifications to the baseline that could increase the single-pass retention. For the WTP melter systems, the liquid waste streams from the primary off-gas system components are recycled back to the pretreatment facility and, ultimately, to subsequent melter feed batches. Such a recycle loop can greatly increase the overall retention of volatile constituents in the glass product over the single-pass value. Accordingly, more recent testing at VSL has been conducted on a melter system that incorporates a recycle flow sheet. The results from that work have provided important performance data for the unit operations in the primary off-gas system with respect to technetium capture and recycle, which is crucial in assessing the amount of technetium that ultimately reports to non-glass waste forms.

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DOE OSTI2024

Summary of Developing a Hanford Grout Modeling Framework Initial Workshop

The “Development of the Hanford Grout Modeling Framework” project as part of the Network of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship (NNLEMS) funding program is underway. An initial project team workshop was held in Richland, WA on June 4 and 5, 2024 with participants from PNNL, SRNL, SNL, WRPS and CRESP (VU and UCF). The workshop covered an overview of the current state of the art in grout modeling tools provided by the team. Based on a focus on liquid waste immobilization grout and encapsulation grout for solid wastes and tank closure grout at Hanford, the team identified preliminary conceptual models for these three applications which will be used to form the basis of the Hanford Grout Modeling Framework. The key processes that can drive mechanisms impacting the grout performance were identified for each test case. The programmatic plan was also identified with five core Themes being selected that will form the focus of the project. Within each theme, individual tasks for Year 1 were planned in support of the development of an updated Hanford Grout Modeling Framework. This report presents a summary of the information presented during the workshop.

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