Furfural-based polymers for the sealing of reactor vessels dumped in the Arctic Kara Sea

• Main Authors: Heiser, J. H., Cowgill, M. G., Sivintsev, Y. V., Alexandrov, V. P., Dyer, R. S.
• Other Authors: United States. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Brookhaven National Laboratory 1996
• Subjects: Underwater; Radioactive Waste Disposal; Reactor Vessels; Reactor Components; Nuclear Ships; 36 Materials Science; Furfural; Waste Forms; Marine Disposal; Sealing Materials; Spent Fuels; 54 Environmental Sciences; 12 Management Of Radioactive Wastes; And Non-Radioactive Wastes From Nuclear Facilities; Solidification; Performance; Arctic; Kara Sea
• Online Access: http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc703538/

Between 1965 and 1988, 16 naval reactor vessels were dumped in the Arctic Kara Sea. Six of the vessels contained spent nuclear fuel that had been damaged during accidents. In addition, a container holding {approximately} 60% of the damaged fuel from the No. 2 reactor of the atomic icebreaker Lenin was dumped in 1967. Before dumping, the vessels were filled with a solidification agent, Conservant F, in order to prevent direct contact between the seawater and the fuel and other activated components, thereby reducing the potential for release of radionuclides into the environment. The key ingredient in Conservant F is furfural (furfuraldehyde). Other constituents vary, depending on specific property requirements, but include epoxy resin, mineral fillers, and hardening agents. In the liquid state (prior to polymerization) Conservant F is a low viscosity, homogeneous resin blend that provides long work times (6--9 hours). In the cured state, Conservant F provides resistance to water and radiation, has high adhesion properties, and results in minimal gas evolution. This paper discusses the properties of Conservant F in both its cured and uncured states and the potential performance of the waste packages containing spent nuclear fuel in the Arctic Kara Sea.