Vitrification of high sulfate wastes
The US Department of Energy (DOE) through the Mixed Waste Integrated Program (MWIP) is investigating the application of vitrification technology to mixed wastes within the DOE system This work involves identifying waste streams, laboratory testing to identify glass formulations and characterize the vitrified product, and demonstration testing with the actual waste in a pilot-scale system. Part of this program is investigating process limits for various waste components, specifically those components that typically create problems for the application of vitrification, such as sulfate, chloride, and phosphate. This work describes results from vitrification testing for a high-sulfate waste, the 183-H Solar Evaporation Basin waste at Hanford. A low melting phosphate glass formulation has been developed for a waste stream high in sodium and sulfate. At melt temperatures in the range of 1,000 C to 1,200 C, sulfate in the waste is decomposed to gaseous oxides and driven off during melting, while the remainder of the oxides stay in the melt. Decomposition of the sulfates eliminates the processing problems typically encountered in vitrification of sulfate-containing wastes, resulting in separation of the sulfate from the remainder of the waste and allowing the sulfate to be collected in the off-gas system and treated as a secondary waste stream. Both the vitreous product and intentionally devitrified samples are durable when compared to reference glasses by TCLP and DI water leach tests. Simple, short tests to evaluate the compatibility of the glasses with potential melter materials found minimal corrosion with most materials.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 10107401
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-24672; CONF-9409178-12; ON: DE95004560; TRN: AHC29507%%2
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Chemical Society meeting on industrial and engineering chemistry,Atlanta, GA (United States),19-21 Sep 1994; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
VITRIFICATION
WASTE FORMS
STABILITY
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SODIUM SULFATES
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DECOMPOSITION
LEACHING
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SIMULATION
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WASTE PROCESSING
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