After the release of radiological material from a drum in the underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), an accident investigation board determined that the release was caused by an exothermic reaction involving the mixture of organic materials and nitrate salts. This conclusion led to the evaluation of information obtained on the chemical composition of all waste materials considered for disposal in the WIPP. The evaluation of this information coupled with the results from scoping studies determined that the strongest oxidizer that could safely bound all of the oxidizers identified in these transuranic (TRU) wastes was potassium nitrite. After the strongest oxidizer was selected, testing was performed on more than 40 sorbent materials and material mixtures using a modified approach to the EPA SW-846 Method 1040, <i>Test Method for Oxidizing Solids</i>. In addition to sorbent - oxidizer tests, this modified method was used to evaluate the amount of zeolite required to remediate potassium nitrite salt, and potassium nitrite solution sorbed on sodium polyacrylate and wheat-based cat litter. Sorbent capacity tests were completed to determine if any of the sorbents would produce a non-oxidizer result when saturated with a potassium nitrite solution. The overall goal of these experiments was to determine which of these oxidizer/sorbent mixtures produced a non-oxidizer result. A non-oxidizer result was obtained when five replicates of a sample and duplicate sample burned at a rate slower than a 3:7 by weight mixture of potassium bromate to cellulose, or did not burn at all. The results of these tests will be presented. They have been used to form the basis of knowledge for managing TRU waste that will be shipped and accepted for disposal at the WIPP in the future.

Evaluation of oxidizer hazard in sorbents used to solidify transuranic waste for the waste isolation pilot plant

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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