Title  Immobilization of Fission Iodine by Reaction with a Fullerene Containing Carbon Compound and Insoluble Natural Natural Organic Matrix	Researchers S. Steinberg, D. Emerson, G. Cerefice Collaborators James J. Laidler, Senior Scientist, Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory George F. Vandergrift, III, Senior Scientist, Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory Michael Savopulo, V. G. Khlopin Radium Institute—Research-Industrial Enterprise, St. Petersburg, Russia Boris E. Burakov, Head of Mineralogical Group, V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute - Research - Industrial Enterprise, St. Petersburg, Russia
Background  The recovery of iodine released during the processing of used nuclear fuel poses a significant challenge to the transmutation of nuclear waste.  Iodine-129, a long-lived fission product formed by both commercial nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons production, is released when reprocessing nuclear fuel.  Since iodine can be concentrated in the human thyroid, any uncontrolled release of iodine may result in an increased rate of thyroid cancer in the exposed population.  For this reason, recovery of iodine is important for implementing any nuclear transmutation strategy.  The first step in any transmutation strategy is the processing of the used nuclear fuel.  This step involves separating the used fuel into its constituent elemental components, allowing the recovery of the uranium, transuranic actinides, long-lived fission products, and other components, depending on the strategy and processes involved.   When used fuel rods are dissolved in concentrated nitric acid in preparation for actinide recovery, iodine is released from the fuel.  A significant fraction of the iodine is lost to the vapor phase during this process, where it may potentially become a fugitive emission and be released from the plant.  To avoid this, specialized filtration systems are used to try to trap and sequester the released iodine (and other fission product gases).    The primary goal of this research is to capture and immobilize the iodine released from these processes in a form that can easily be converted to a suitable target for neutron-induced transmutation.  The investigators believe that iodine released during fuel reprocessing can be immobilized in a Fullerene Containing Carbon (FCC) compound or a Natural Organic Matter (NOM) matrix.    Natural organic matter (such as spaghnum moss, peat or brown coal) is an inexpensive and a renewable resource.  Further processing of the trapped iodine using simple desorption or combustion processes should be able to produce iodine in a form suitable for transmutation.  Furthermore, collaborators at the Khlopin Radium Institute (KRI) have proposed that the iodine-loaded FCC material, when combined with ceramics, is stable enough for use as a long-term storage form, and may be usable as a transmuter target matrix.	Research Objectives and Methods The stability of the association of iodine with FCC and NOM products were studied.  Product distributions for the various matrices under various reaction conditions were examined in order to maximize the binding of iodine.  The recovery of the iodine from the sequestration matrices was also examined, along with the conversion of the iodine to matrices more suitable for geological storage and/or use as transmutation targets. The following are the specific research objectives and goals: · Develop bench-scale experimental set-up and procedures for simulating plutonium extraction process (PUREX) head-end vapor phase. · Develop experimental procedures for evaluating iodine sequestering methods using bench-scale procedures. · Develop FCC bearing material as potential iodine sequestration matrix. · Determine binding of iodine to FCC and NOM. · Examine alternate iodine sequestration matrices using techniques developed for FCC and NOM studies. · Examine the effect of reaction conditions on binding. · Elucidate the nature of the reaction products (volatile, hydrophobic, soluble, insoluble). · Develop methodology and host matrix for converting sequestered iodine to solid matrix for evaluation as transmutation target and/or disposal matrix. · Examine recovery of iodine from sequestration matrices.  The FCC compounds were developed and prepared by the KRI Research Industrial Enterprise (KIRSI).  The KRI-KIRSI team researched the impacts of process parameters on sorption of iodine, and examined the material properties, such as how iodine attaches to the FCC compounds.  The KRI-KIRSI team also examined the conversion of the iodine loaded FCC compound to a stabilized matrix (similar to ceramic) for potential use as a disposal form, acceptable transportation material, or potential target material.   Sequestration of iodide (10-4M) in the presence of sphagnum peat and MnO2.  The solution was circulated through a column at 5 mL/min.
Students  Ginger Kimble G Nancy Birkner G James Dorman G	Department Chemistry
Final Report	Annual Report    Task 15 Year 1 Academic Year 2002 Task 15 Year 2 Academic Year 2003 KRI-KIRSI Progress Report #1-1and #1-2 (2004) KRI-KIRSI Progress Report #1-3 (2004) KRI-KIRSI Progress Report #1-4 (2005) KRI-KIRSI Final Report #1 (2004) KRI-KIRSI Final Report #1 (2005)
Proposal 05/10/02 Task 15 Year 2 Task 15 Year 3	Quarterly Reports  09/01/02-12/01/02  01/01/03-03/01/03  04/01/03-06/01/03  09/01/03-12/01/03  01/01/04-03/31/04 04/01/04-06/30/04 07/01/04-09/30/04  10/01/04-12/31/04 01/01/05-03/31/05 01/01/06-03/31/06

Thesis
M.S. Chemistry, Gregory Tye Schmett, "Immobilization of Fission Iodine by Reaction with Fullerene Containing Carbon Compounds or Insoluble Natural Organic Matter" May 2005(TRP Task 15)