Study on solubility and leaching property of Iodine-129 waste-forms for geological disposal

Yanagisawa, Ichiro*; Katsurai, Kiyomichi*; Izumi, Jun*; Saigusa, Moriyuki*; not registered; not registered; not registered; Ueta, Shinzo*

(1)Sodalite and tourmaline are natural-occurring minerals, which can contain halide in their aluminosilicate lattices. Therefore, these materials have possibilities of immobilization of I-129. In this study, solubility measurements for these materials were carried out. It was confirmed from dissolution behaviors obtained for some kinds of sodalite and calculated results of solubilities based on thermodynamic data that dissolution of sodalite to aqueous solution could be limited by its solubility. Solubility of sodalite had tendencies of "synthesized one natural one" and "chloride iodide". Immobilized iodine in sodalite crystalline lattice was not replaced by chlolide ion in the solution. It was indicated that tourmaline has a possibility as a waste material containing I-129 from comparison of dissolution behavior of element with sodalite. (2)Leaching property of a multi-layered waste-form, that is composed of (1)iodine bearing material (zeolite), (2)coating layer (silica and apatite) and 3)low solubility matirx (apatite), was studied under reducing condition. The following results were obtained by the leaching experiments: (1)The coating layer of hidroxyapatite can reduce the iodine leaching rate by 4 order compared with that of bare iodine bearing material. (2)Ca and P concentration after one-month dipping reached the solubility estimated by the theoretical calculation using PHREEQE code. As a conclusion, it was indicated that this waste-form concept has potential to show low leaching rate.