In preliminary engineering studies and equipment commissioning, readily available simulants with certain resemblances to the target waste, such as particle size, may be employed. However, for the validation of engineering processes, it is crucial to use simulants that closely replicate the physical and flow characteristics of the waste material, typically excluding radioactivity. The production of such simulants can entail significant costs. To facilitate the development of novel engineering solutions, the U.S. Department of Energy provided a nonradioactive alumina calcine simulant. This simulant was utilized to demonstrate a hot isostatic press (HIP) canister-filling system designed by Gravitas Technologies in Australia. The simulant was synthesized through a fluidized-bed calcination process, which mirrored the chemistry and procedure employed for the actual alumina Idaho calcine waste material. Consequently, the simulant exhibited physical properties akin to the actual calcine, including particle size distribution, bulk density, and flow properties.

This first paper, Part 1, presents the powder characterization test results determined by a Freeman FT-4 rheometer and the calibration methods that determined a set of unique contact model parameters for dynamically simulating Idaho calcine simulant in a discrete element method (DEM) model. The second paper, Part 2, will present the dynamic simulations of two bulk material-handling scenarios in a full-scale, three-dimensional integrated HIP canister-filling system. The predicted results are compared with historical experimental results for validating the contact model. The contact model, which represents the particle-particle and particle-boundary interactions, was calibrated according to experimental data obtained from six calibration tests.

This work aims to support future research with powder characterization experimental data and a calibrated DEM contact model to assist in developing processes for the safe handling and treatment of Idaho calcine waste.