The geochemical role of B-10 enriched boric acid in cemented liquid radioactive wastes

Abstract

Boric acid is a significant radioactive waste generated during the operation of nuclear power plants. Cementitious materials have been widely studied for the immobilization of boric acid. The generally used natural boric acid has been replaced by enriched boric acid for geochemical reasons and are expected to have varied behaviors in cementitious matrices. Results showed that simulated enriched/natural boric acid liquid wastes mostly contain boron in B(OH)4- and B5O6(OH)4- ionic forms, but the mass ratio of these species is higher in enriched boric acid solutions. In function with the concentration of enriched/natural boric acid, the solidified cementitious materials show different mineralogy.