Two-phase transport in a cemented waste package considering spatio-temporal evolution of chemical conditions

Abstract

Abstract The long-term evolution of cemented waste packages is governed by (bio)chemical reactions between waste, cement, and barrier materials, and by transport processes inside the waste package and through openings in the waste package hull. Inside a waste package, gases can be generated by pH-dependent anoxic corrosion of metals and the degradation of organic matter. The (bio)chemical reactions consume water and will not proceed under dry conditions. The degradation of cementitious materials lowers the alkaline pH of the pore water. The modeling of such a complex feedback system shows that the internal structure of a waste package and the exchange of mass with the environment (boundary conditions) are major factors that determine the importance of process couplings. The (bio)chemical reactions are controlled by internal re-distribution of water predominantly via vapor transport. Calculated gas generation rates were found to be affected by dry-out processes inside the drum.