🚀 go-pugleaf

greige@bigpond.com (Greig Ebeling) wrote:

>On Sun, 04 Jun 2000 19:06:50 GMT, none (Quarks like a duck) wrote:

>>>>Now we know that
>>>>the Soviets have discovered plutonium behaves very unpredicatibly in
>>>>relatively short term storage situations let alon 1000 years or eons.
>>
>>>We also know from the studies of the Oklo phenomenon that Pu migrates
>>>very predictably (slowly) even when completely uncontained.
>>
>>
>>The report in Science Magazine (Vol 287 # 5451,14 January 2000), by
>>chemists Haschke, Allen, & Morales overturns long-held assumptions
>>about what may happen when plutonium is buried.  

>Science Magazine is a repected source, and I would be interested in
>seeing details of the conclusions of this article.  I intend to look
>it up.

>>A commentary in the
>>same issue of the magazine, entitled "Towards the End of PuO2's
>>Suprem-acy?"

>A commentary?

>>discusses implications for long-term storage of plutonium dioxide: 
>>"It has ... been assumed for more than 50 years that PuO2 is the
>>highest plutonium oxide which can be prepared. This oxide ... was
>>believed to be stable over a wide temperature range.... For both
>>civilian and military applications, the stability of PuO2 was a key
>>factor underlying the industrial strategy ... The new results ... have
>>great consequences for the underground disposal of plutonium wastes.
>>Until now, it was assumed that plu-tonium would not be very mobile in
>>the underground geological environment because of the insolubility of
>>Pu(IV) compounds. But Haschke et al. demonstrate that water can oxide
>>PuO2 into PuO2+x in which more than 25% of the plutonium ions exist as
>>Pu(VI), an ion that is far more  water soluble ..."

>An ion which is far more water soluble?  Hmmm.  There's something very
>fishy about this commentary.  It doesn't explain the circumstances
>under which this Pu(IV) dissolving takes place, pressure, temperature
>etc.  The theory presented here contradicts practical understanding to
>date, so I suspect there is more to investigate to fully undertand the
>implications of the Haschke et al. demonstration.


>...Greig

Thanks for finally saying there is more to investigate!