Chemistry Research for the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program

Abstract

This publication reviews chemical research in support of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program. The overall objective of this research is to develop the fundamental understanding required to demonstrate the suitability of waste immobilization media and processes, and to develop the chemical information required to predict the long-term behaviour of radionuclides in the geosphere after the waste form and the various engineered barriers containing it have failed. Key studies towards the above objective include experimental and theoretical studies of uranium dioxide oxidation/dissolution; compilation of thermodynamic databases and an experimental program to determine unavailable thermodynamic data; studies of hydrothermal alteration of minerals and radionuclide interactions with such minerals; and a study examining actinide colloid formation, as well as sorption of actinides on groundwater colloids.