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Title: Vitrification of High-Cr Glass in Research-Scale Melter

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1784531· OSTI ID:1784531
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  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  2. .Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
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This test report describes the experimental results from a small-scale test using the research-scale melter (RSM) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to demonstrate processing of a high-Cr simulated feed stream, designated HLW-HCr-16. The RSM is a small, joule-heated melter capable of processing melter feed continuously. The melter is equipped with Inconel® 693 electrodes, Monofrax® K-3 refractory, and an Inconel 690 pour spout. An electric kiln surrounds the melter body and minimizes heat loss from the melter body during operation. The RSM is equipped with an offgas treatment system that employs quenching, wet scrubbing, and high-efficiency mist elimination. The glass-discharge section is heated to facilitate pouring of the glass. The melter is fitted with a melt cavity that is ~25 cm (10 in.) in diameter with a nominal glass depth of 8.9 cm (3.5 in.). The melter was operated with a target glass temperature of 1150°C and target plenum temperature between 550°C and 700°C for this test. The air bubbling rate was 4.2 L/min. Overall, during the continuous operation of the melter for ~ 103 hours, ~ 141 kg of glass was produced. At the conclusion of the test, the melter and exhaust lines were visually inspected for particulate deposition and corrosion. Entrained material had adhered to the underside of the melter lid and to the exhaust piping. Enrichments in elements such as Cl, F, B, K, Li, P, Na, and S were measured in these deposits through inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence analysis. When the melter electrodes and air bubbler tube were removed from the glass in the RSM, the electrodes appeared discolored, but no significant loss of metal was observed. The processing of a high-Cr simulant, HLW-HCr-16, in the RSM produced glass at an average rate of 1.36 kg/h, equaling a melter-surface-area normalized glass generation rate of 654 kg/day/m2. The resulting glass met the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure requirement. Test results of crystallinity, electrical conductivity, and viscosity showed good processing properties of this high-Cr high-level waste glass. RSM offgas was also sampled and analyzed at periodic intervals during steady-state operating conditions. The total decontamination factor averaged by four sampling periods was 134. The concentrations of CO and NOx in emissions were 237 to 422 and 69 to 94 parts per million by volume, respectively.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); USDOE Office of River Protection (ORP), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1784531
Report Number(s):
PNNL-30141; EWG-RPT-028; TRN: US2216156
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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