Hazardous Gas Production by Alpha Particles in Solid Organic Transuranic Waste Matrices

Research Objective Fundamental radiation chemical techniques are used to elucidate the basic processes occurring in the heavy-ion radiolysis of some of the solid hydrocarbon matrices such as polymers that are associated with many of the transuranic waste deposits or the transportation of these radionuclides. The environmental management of mixed waste containing transuranic radionuclides is difficult because these nuclides are alpha particle emitters and the energy deposited by the alpha particles causes chemical transformations in the matrices accompanying the waste. Basic gamma radiolysis studies have been performed on some organic matrices, however, the chemical changes induced by alpha particles and other heavy ions are typically very different and product yields can vary by a large magnitude. The objective of this research is to measure the production of hazardous gases such as molecular hydrogen and methane produced in the proton, helium ion, and carbon ion radiolysis of selected solid organic matrices in order to obtain fundamental mechanistic information on the radiolytic decomposition of these materials. This knowledge can also be used to directly give reasonable estimates of explosive or flammability hazards in the storage or transport of transuranic wastes in order to enhance the safety of DOE sites