Modeling of nuclide release from low-level radioactive paraffin waste: a comparison of simulated and real waste

Nuclide leaching models based on mass transfer theory are reviewed and evaluated to analyze the leaching test results of simulated and real paraffin waste from Korean nuclear power plants (NPPs). An empirical model (EM), bulk diffusion model (BDM), coupled diffusion/dissolution model (CDDM), shrinking core model (SCM), modified SCM (MSCM), and uniform reaction model (URM) are selected for comparison. In case of simulated paraffin waste form, the experimental results are satisfactorily explained by the SCM which is based on a diffusion-controlled dissolution reaction. Leaching behavior of real paraffin waste form is well predicted by URM that considers inter-aggregated porous medium and intra-aggregated porous medium separately. If real paraffin waste forms are manufactured with relatively uniform composition, their leaching behaviors are expected to be similar to those of simulated paraffin waste forms.