Towards optimization of nuclear waste glass: Constraints, property models, and waste loading

Conference · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:10167209

Hrma, P

Vitrification of both low- and high-level wastes from 177 tanks at Hanford poses a great challenge to glass makers, whose task is to formulate a system of glasses that are acceptable to the federal repository for disposal. The enormous quantity of the waste requires a glass product of the lowest possible volume. The incomplete knowledge of waste composition, its variability, and lack of an appropriate vitrification technology further complicates this difficult task. A simple relationship between the waste loading and the waste glass volume is presented and applied to the predominantly refractory (usually high-activity) and predominantly alkaline (usually low-activity) waste types. Three factors that limit waste loading are discussed, namely product acceptability, melter processing, and model validity. Glass formulation and optimization problems are identified and a broader approach to uncertainties is suggested.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 10167209
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-23384; CONF-940416-21; ON: DE94015286; TRN: 94:014673
• Resource Relation: Conference: 96. annual meeting of the American Ceramic Society (ACS),Indianapolis, IN (United States),25-28 Apr 1994; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1994
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
HANFORD RESERVATION
STORAGE FACILITIES
REMEDIAL ACTION
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
VITRIFICATION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
WASTE FORMS
LOADING RATE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
SODIUM OXIDES
REFRACTORY METALS
052001
052002
054000
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
HEALTH AND SAFETY