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Title: Fracturing of simulated high-level waste glass in canisters

Abstract

Waste-glass castings generated from engineering-scale developmental processes at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory are generally found to have significant levels of cracks. The causes and extent of fracturing in full-scale canisters of waste glass as a result of cooling and accidental impact are discussed. Although the effects of cracking on waste-form performance in a repository are not well understood, cracks in waste forms can potentially increase leaching surface area. If cracks are minimized or absent in the waste-glass canisters, the potential for radionuclide release from the canister package can be reduced. Additional work on the effects of cracks on leaching of glass is needed. In addition to investigating the extent of fracturing of glass in waste-glass canisters, methods to reduce cracking by controlling cooling conditions were explored. Overall, the study shows that the extent of glass cracking in full-scale, passively-cooled, continuous melting-produced canisters is strongly dependent on the cooling rate. This observation agrees with results of previously reported Pacific Northwest Laboratory experiments on bench-scale annealed canisters. Thus, the cause of cracking is principally bulk thermal stresses. Fracture damage resulting from shearing at the glass/metal interface also contributes to cracking, more so in stainless steel canisters than in carbon steel canisters. Thismore » effect can be reduced or eliminated with a graphite coating applied to the inside of the canister. Thermal fracturing can be controlled by using a fixed amount of insulation for filling and cooling of canisters. In order to maintain production rates, a small amount of additional facility space is needed to accomodate slow-cooling canisters. Alternatively, faster cooling can be achieved using the multi-staged approach. Additional development is needed before this approach can be used on full-scale (60-cm) canisters.« less

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
6052919
Report Number(s):
PNL-3948
ON: DE81030621; TRN: 81-016484
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; CARBON STEELS; IMPACT SHOCK; THERMAL STRESSES; CONTAINERS; MATERIALS; GLASS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING; SOLIDIFICATION; STAINLESS STEELS; FRACTURES; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SIMULATION; SOLID WASTES; VITRIFICATION; ALLOYS; CHROMIUM ALLOYS; CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS; FAILURES; IRON ALLOYS; IRON BASE ALLOYS; MANAGEMENT; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS; PROCESSING; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; STEELS; STRESSES; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTES; 052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing; 360603 - Materials- Properties; 360103 - Metals & Alloys- Mechanical Properties

Citation Formats

Peters, R D, and Slate, S C. Fracturing of simulated high-level waste glass in canisters. United States: N. p., 1981. Web. doi:10.2172/6052919.
Peters, R D, & Slate, S C. Fracturing of simulated high-level waste glass in canisters. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6052919
Peters, R D, and Slate, S C. 1981. "Fracturing of simulated high-level waste glass in canisters". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6052919. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6052919.
@article{osti_6052919,
title = {Fracturing of simulated high-level waste glass in canisters},
author = {Peters, R D and Slate, S C},
abstractNote = {Waste-glass castings generated from engineering-scale developmental processes at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory are generally found to have significant levels of cracks. The causes and extent of fracturing in full-scale canisters of waste glass as a result of cooling and accidental impact are discussed. Although the effects of cracking on waste-form performance in a repository are not well understood, cracks in waste forms can potentially increase leaching surface area. If cracks are minimized or absent in the waste-glass canisters, the potential for radionuclide release from the canister package can be reduced. Additional work on the effects of cracks on leaching of glass is needed. In addition to investigating the extent of fracturing of glass in waste-glass canisters, methods to reduce cracking by controlling cooling conditions were explored. Overall, the study shows that the extent of glass cracking in full-scale, passively-cooled, continuous melting-produced canisters is strongly dependent on the cooling rate. This observation agrees with results of previously reported Pacific Northwest Laboratory experiments on bench-scale annealed canisters. Thus, the cause of cracking is principally bulk thermal stresses. Fracture damage resulting from shearing at the glass/metal interface also contributes to cracking, more so in stainless steel canisters than in carbon steel canisters. This effect can be reduced or eliminated with a graphite coating applied to the inside of the canister. Thermal fracturing can be controlled by using a fixed amount of insulation for filling and cooling of canisters. In order to maintain production rates, a small amount of additional facility space is needed to accomodate slow-cooling canisters. Alternatively, faster cooling can be achieved using the multi-staged approach. Additional development is needed before this approach can be used on full-scale (60-cm) canisters.},
doi = {10.2172/6052919},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6052919}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981},
month = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981}
}