Characterization and testing of a {sup 238}Pu loaded ceramic waste form.

This paper will describe the preparation and progress of the effort at Argonne National Laboratory-West to produce ceramic waste forms loaded with {sup 238}Pu. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of damage, if any, that alpha decay events will play over time to the ceramic waste form under development at Argonne. The ceramic waste form is glass-bonded sodalite. The sodalite is utilized to encapsulate the fission products and transuranics which are present in a chloride salt matrix which results from a spent fuel conditioning process. {sup 238}Pu possesses approximately 250 times the specific activity of {sup 239}Pu and thus allows for a much shorter time frame to address the issue. In preparation for production of {sup 238}Pu loaded waste forms {sup 239}Pu loaded samples were produced. Data is presented for samples produced with typical reactor grade plutonium. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron micrographs and durability test results will be presented. The ramifications for the production of the {sup 238}Pu loaded samples will be discussed