A batch process for vitrification of americium/curium solutions

Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2000 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:20086975

Marra, J E; Baich, M A; Fellinger, A P ^[1]

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1. and others

Isotopes of Am and Cm were produced in the past at the Westinghouse Savannah River Site (SRS) for research, medical, and radiological applications. These highly radioactive and valuable isotopes have been stored in an SRS reprocessing facility for a number of years. Vitrification of this solution will allow the material to be more safely stored until it is transported to the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory for use in research and medical applications. The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) research and development program supporting the stabilization of the Am-Cm solution began in 1995. SRTC is developing the equipment design bases and process operating parameters to vitrify the nitric acid-based Am-Cm solution. A full-scale pilot facility has been in operation since late 1995. Originally, the vitrification process was to be accomplished using a Pt-Rh, slab-geometry bushing melter similar to that used in the glass industry. Several equipment application challenges were addressed, and significant progress was made on the original feed system, melter, drain tube, and off-gas design. However, in October 1997, the bushing melter failed, and a batch flow sheet concept was proposed. The alternative of batch vitrification and the simplication of the melter system addressed many of the technical problems encountered in the earlier development efforts. While a new induction-heated cylindrical melter was being installed, vitrification experiments with the product slurry from a new pretreatment step were carried out in a resistance-heated platinum melter to validate the technical feasibility of the new flow sheet. These experiments demonstrated the initial feasibility of the process and provided the baseline for operations in the cylindrical induction melter (CIM).

• Research Organization: Westinghouse SRC, Aiken, SC (US)
• OSTI ID: 20086975
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 82; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
CURIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
SOLUTIONS
STORAGE
TRANSPORT
VITRIFICATION