Vitrification of mixed waste from uranium processing operations

Conference · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:10135032

Janke, D S ^[1]; Merrill, R A ^[2]

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1. Battelle, Fairfield, OH (United States). Environmental Systems and Technology Div.
2. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

Three silos at the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) in Fernald, Ohio, contain residues from the processing of pitchblende ores. Silos 1 and 2, designated as K-65, contain the depleted ore, while Silo 3 contains calcined residue from processing solutions. Silos 1 and 2 also contain a bentonite clay cap that was added to the silos to reduce the radon emanation from the waste. Previously, the initial vitrification testing, conducted as a treatability study for the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) being performed at the FEMP, demonstrated the feasibility of vitrifying the silo residues. Various combinations of the waste materials were successfully vitrified at 1350{degree}C with waste loadings ranging from 66 percent to 89 percent. Measured volume reductions ranged from 50 to 68 percent. All of the glasses tested ``non-hazardous`` by the Toxicity Characteristic Leachate Procedure (TCLP), and Product Consistency Test (PCT) testing showed the durability of the glasses to be equal to or better than typical high-level waste glasses. The radon emanation rate from the glass has been measured at less than 0.1 pCi/m{sup 2}/s, more than two orders of magnitude below the EPA limit of 20 pCi/m{sup 2}/s and about the same level as natural, ``non-radioactive`` building materials such as brick or concrete. This level represents a reduction in the emanation rate of more than 500,000 times from the non-vitrified residue. Although the initial treatability testing demonstrated the applicability of vitrification to these wastes, some areas requiring further work were identified.

• Research Organization: Fluor Daniel Environmental Restoration Management Corp., Fernald, OH (United States); Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corp., Cincinnati, OH (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-92OR21972
• OSTI ID: 10135032
• Report Number(s): FEMP/SUB--070; CONF-931095--81; ON: DE94008558; BR: 35EW00000/35EW20100
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001
052002
054000
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
FEED MATERIALS PRODUCTION CENTER
GLASS
HEALTH AND SAFETY
PERFORMANCE
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMEDIAL ACTION
URANIUM ORES
VITRIFICATION
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
WASTE FORMS
WASTE PROCESSING