Thermal Conductivity and Shear Strength of K Basin Sludge

Hanford K Basin sludge contains metallic uranium and uranium oxides that will corrode, hydrate, and, consequently, generate heat and hydrogen gas during storage. Heat is generated within the K Basin sludge by radiolytic decay and the reaction of uranium metal with water. To maintain thermal stability, the sludge must be retrieved, staged, transported, and stored in systems designed to provide a rate of heat removal that prevents the temperature in the sludge from increasing beyond acceptable limits. To support the dispositioning of the sludge to T Plant, modeling and testing and analyses are being performed to predict the behavior of sludge when placed into the storage containers. Two physical properties of the sludge that are critical to the modeling and analyses efforts are thermal conductivity and the sludge shear strength (yield stress). This report provides the results of thermal conductivity and shear strength measurements performed on representative sludge samples from the K East Basin.