ANOXIC CORROSION OF VARIOUS HIGH BURNUP SPENT FUEL SAMPLES

To assess the long-term performance of spent fuel in a repository in s aline environments, the effect of iron and sample dimension on the cor rosion behavior and radionuclide release from high burnup fuel was stu died. Additionally, the release contributions of the highly burned fue l rim and of alpha-recoil transport mechanism was evaluated. Results s how that spent fuel is thermodynamically unstable even under reducing conditions (presence of Fe) but the dissolution rates are very slow. S low dissolution rates are also encountered with powdered fuel, probabl y resulting from depletion of radiolytic reactants.