Remote characterization of mixed waste by infrared spectroscopy: Fiscal year 1995 report

This report summarizes development work completed in FY 1995 on near-infrared (NIR) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of determining the moisture content and solid species present in Hanford Site high-level waste. In prior fiscal years, the main emphasis was on identification of cyanide species that might be present in the ferrocyanide waste tanks, but the present thrust has been more focused on determining the moisture content of the waste. If sufficient moisture is present in the waste, propagating reactions in reactive waste are precluded, regardless of its fuel content. A prototype hot cell NIR moisture probe is now ready for hot cell deployment to sense moisture contents and homogeneity in tank waste samples