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Title: Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Durability-Composition Models and the Applicability of the Associated Reduction of Constraints (ROC) Criteria for High TiO2 Containing Glasses

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1323881· OSTI ID:1323881
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

Radioactive high-level waste (HLW) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has successfully been vitrified into borosilicate glass in the DWPF since 1996. Vitrification requires stringent product/process (P/P) constraints since the glass cannot be reworked once it has been poured into ten foot tall by two foot diameter canisters. A unique “feed forward” statistical process control (SPC) was developed for this control rather than relying on statistical quality control (SQC). In SPC, the feed composition to the DWPF melter is controlled prior to vitrification. In SQC, the glass product would be sampled after it is vitrified. Individual glass property-composition models form the basis for the “feed forward” SPC. The models transform constraints on the melt and glass properties into constraints on the feed composition going to the melter in order to determine, at the 95% confidence level, that the feed will be processable and that the durability of the resulting waste form will be acceptable to a geologic repository. The DWPF SPC system is known as the Product Composition Control System (PCCS). One of the process models within PCCS is known as the Thermodynamic Hydration Energy Reaction MOdel (THERMO™). The DWPF will soon be receiving increased concentrations of TiO2-, Na2O-, and Cs2O-enriched wastes from the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). The SWPF has been built to pretreat the high-curie fraction of the salt waste to be removed from the HLW tanks in the F- and H-Area Tank Farms at the SRS. In order to validate the existing TiO2 term in THERMO™ beyond 2.0 wt% in the DWPF, new durability data were developed over the target range of 2.00 to 6.00 wt% TiO2 and evaluated against the 1995 durability model. The durability was measured by the 7-day Product Consistency Test. This study documents the adequacy of the existing THERMO™ terms. It is recommended that the modified THERMO™ durability models and the modified property acceptable region limits for the durability constraints be incorporated in the next revision of the technical bases for PCCS and then implemented into PCCS. It is also recommended that an reduction of constraints of 4 wt% Al2O3 be implemented with no restrictions on the amount of alkali in the glass for TiO2 values ≥2 wt%. The ultimate limit on the amount of TiO2 that can be accommodated from SWPF will be determined by the three PCCS models, the waste composition of a given sludge batch, the waste loading of the sludge batch, and the frit used for vitrification.

Research Organization:
Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-08SR22470; AC09-96SR18500; AC09-89SR18035
OSTI ID:
1323881
Report Number(s):
SRNL-STI-2016-00372; TRN: US1601912
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English