Environmental behavior of hafnium : the impact on the disposition of weapons-grade plutonium

Experimental and analytical studies were performed to examine the environmental behavior of hafnium and its utility as a neutron poison for the disposition of weapons-grade plutonium in Yucca Mountain. The hydrolysis of hafnium was investigated by potentiometric titration in solutions of varying ionic strength to determine the stability constants for the first four monomeric hydrolysis products. The specific ion interaction theory is used to extrapolate these results to infinite dilution. The solubility of hafnium hydroxide and a meta-stable hafnium carbonate solid phase are studied via solubility experiments using ICP-AES. An upper bound for the stability constant of the first carbonate complex is determined. The solubility of hafnium oxide is investigated via solubility experiments using neutron activation analysis, which is also used to investigate the complexation of hafnium by silicates.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

1999

Author dc:creator

• Cerefice, Gary Steven

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Kenneth R. Czerwinski.

• Nuclear Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/85376

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/85376