Dissolution rates of as-received and partially oxidized spent fuel

摘要

Dissolution rates have been measured for spent fuel in both unoxidized and partially air-oxidized conditions (oxygen-to-metal ratio of 2.4 with U(sub 4)O(sub 9) crystallographic structure), as well as for unirradiated UO(sub 2) and UO(sub 2) that was partially oxidized to U(sub 3)O(sub 7). All measurements were taken in flow-through tests where uranium concentrations were maintained well below solubility limits to avoid suppression of the measured dissolution rates by solubility constraints. No significant differences in dissolution behavior were found between the oxidized and unoxidized spent fuel or between unirradiated UO(sub 2) and U(sub 3)O(sub 7).