Examination of the Potential for Formation of Energetic Compounds in Dry Sludge

This report details initial results from an investigation of the potential formation and fate of energetic compounds in Savannah River Site sludge

Excess Sodium Tetraphenylborate and Intermediates Decomposition Studies

The stability of excess amounts of sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) in the In-Tank Precipitation (ITP) facility depends on a number of variables. Concentration of palladium, initial benzene, and sodium ion as well as temperature provide the best opportunities for controlling the decomposition rate. This study examined the influence of these four variable on the reactivity of palladium-catalyzed sodium tetraphenylborate decomposition. Also, single effects tests investigated the reactivity of simulants with continuous stirring and nitrogen ventilation, with very high benzene concentrations, under washed sodium concentrations, with very high palladium concentrations, and with minimal quantities of excess NaTPB

Sodium Tetraphenylborate Catalyst Identification: Phase B and C Statistical Design Studies

Excess sodium tetraphenylborate decomposed during startup of the In-Tank Precipitation process in 1995

High Level Waste Lag Storage and Feed Blending

SRTC performed small-scale tests to determine the behavior associated with blending streams in the High-level Waste (HLW) Lag Storage and Feed Blending Process System for the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The work reported here was planned and designed in response to the test specification. The Office of River Protection Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant consists of three primary facilities: a Pretreatment Facility and two facilities for low-activity and high-level waste vitrification. The Pretreatment Facility contains unit operations which receive waste feed from the Hanford Tank Farms and separate it into two treated waste streams: a low-activity, liquid waste stream stripped of most solids and radioisotopes (processed through the Low-Activity Waste Vitrification Facility) and a high-level waste slurry containing most of the solids and radioisotopes (processed through the High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility). Blending of the later solids a nd radioisotopes streams and their resulting properties is the subject of this report. These mixtures are shown to be unreactive and pumpable by using statistically designed combinations of nonradioactive simulants for the process streams. Properties of the mixtures are also predicted numerically (with the Environmental Simulation Program) and compared with the experimental results. The results did not reveal any problematic solutions, properties, or conditions. The high viscosity and yield stress of the simulated sludge and the resulting test mixtures that included it are, however, of note

Evaporation studies of simulated low-heat waste and post-aluminum dissolution waste

Successive evaporations were performed on simulated low-heat waste and post-aluminum dissolution waste spiked with depleted uranium. Waste compositions were determined for supernate and saltcake samples

Muon Capture on the Proton and Deuteron

By measuring the lifetime of the negative muon in pure protium (hydrogen-1), the MuCap experiment determines the rate of muon capture on the proton, from which the proton's pseudoscalar coupling g_p may be inferred. A precision of 15% for g_p has been published; this is a step along the way to a goal of 7%. This coupling can be calculated precisely from heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory and therefore permits a test of QCD's chiral symmetry. Meanwhile, the MuSun experiment is in its final design stage; it will measure the rate of muon capture on the deuteron using a similar technique. This process can be related through pionless effective field theory and chiral perturbation theory to other two-nucleon reactions of astrophysical interest, including proton-proton fusion and deuteron breakup.Comment: Submitted to the proceedings of the 2007 Advanced Studies Institute on Symmetries and Spin (SPIN-Praha-2007

Kaon-Nucleon Scattering Amplitudes and Z∗^*-Enhancements from Quark Born Diagrams

We derive closed form kaon-nucleon scattering amplitudes using the ``quark Born diagram" formalism, which describes the scattering as a single interaction (here the OGE spin-spin term) followed by quark line rearrangement. The low energy I=0 and I=1 S-wave KN phase shifts are in reasonably good agreement with experiment given conventional quark model parameters. For $k_{lab}> 0.7$ Gev however the I=1 elastic phase shift is larger than predicted by Gaussian wavefunctions, and we suggest possible reasons for this discrepancy. Equivalent low energy KN potentials for S-wave scattering are also derived. Finally we consider OGE forces in the related channels K$\Delta$, K$^*$N and K$^*\Delta$, and determine which have attractive interactions and might therefore exhibit strong threshold enhancements or ``Z$^*$-molecule" meson-baryon bound states. We find that the minimum-spin, minimum-isospin channels and two additional K$^*\Delta$ channels are most conducive to the formation of bound states. Related interesting topics for future experimental and theoretical studies of KN interactions are also discussed.Comment: 34 pages, figures available from the authors, revte

Plasma polymerization of (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl in a collisional, capacitively coupled radio frequency discharge

Plasma polymerization of (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO) yields thin films containing stable nitroxide radicals that have properties analogous to that of nitric oxide (NO) without short lifetimes. This property gives TEMPO films a wide variety of potential applications. Typically, control of the final film chemistry is difficult and the plasma discharge conditions must be tailored to in order to maximize the retention of these nitroxide groups during the polymerization and deposition process. In this study, plasma diagnostics and surface analysis of the deposited films were carried out to determine the optimal plasma conditions for the retention of nitroxide groups. These techniques included energy-resolved mass spectrometry, heated planar probe ion current measurements, deposition rate measurements, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results show that operating the plasma with a combination of low input powers and high pressures produces a collisional discharge in which fragmentation of the TEMPO molecule is suppressed, leading to good retention of nitroxide groups. Ion energy distribution functions and quartz crystal microbalance measurements support the soft landing theory of ion deposition on the substrate within this γ-mode, in which the flux of low energy, soft landed ions form the primary contribution to film growth. XPS analysis of deposited polymers shows 75.7% retention of N - O groups in the polymer films deposited in a 25 Pa 5 W discharge. © 2020 Author(s)