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Title: Effect of cold cap chemistry on waste melter vitrification kinetics

Conference ·
OSTI ID:476603
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

Cold-cap chemistry affects the vitrification rates of simulated waste glass melter feeds that produce the same final glass composition. Laboratory- and engineering-scale melter experiments were conducted to evaluate the melting performance of melter feeds produced from pretreated simulated waste using glycolic acid in one instance and two nitric acid based feeds. The two nitric based melter feeds were pretreated with nitric acid in one case and nitric plus boric acid in the other. These melter feeds melt at significantly different rates (glycolic faster than nitric plus boric which is faster than nitric). Closer examination of cold cap samples indicated that silica was being digested faster in the glycolic-treated feed than in the nitric-treated feeds. Laboratory off gas testing results of the two nitric based melter feeds indicated that a lower temperature eutectic melt was produced in the nitric plus boric acid melter feed. Other reactions, such as salt melt accumulations at the base of the cold cap, occurred with all three melter feeds. It is also possible that exothermic reactions in the cold cap may play a roll in increasing the melting rate. Oxidation of glycolate (an exothermic reaction) occurred in the melter feed treated with glycolic acid.

DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
476603
Report Number(s):
CONF-960804-Vol.3; TRN: 97:009141
Resource Relation:
Conference: SPECTRUM `96: international conference on nuclear and hazardous waste management, Seattle, WA (United States), 18-23 Aug 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the international topical meeting on nuclear and hazardous waste management (SPECTRM `96): Volume 3; PB: 843 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English