Direct Vitrification of HLW [Final Report]

Technical Report · Tue Oct 31 04:00:00 EDT 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2446712· OSTI ID:2446712

Matlack, Keith S. ^[1]; Kot, Wing K. ^[1]; Pegg, Ian L. ^[1]; Joseph, Innocent ^[2]

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1. The Catholic Univ. of America, Washington, DC (United States)
2. Atkins Energy Federal EPC, Inc., Calverton, MD (United States)

This report describes work performed to develop and test new glass and feed formulations to support the direct vitrification of High Level Waste (HLW) with minimal or no pretreatment. In the HLW direct feed option that is under consideration for early operations of the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), the pretreatment facility would be bypassed in order to support an earlier start-up of the vitrification facility. For HLW, this would mean that the ultrafiltration and caustic leaching operations that would otherwise have been performed in the pretreatment facility would either not be performed or would be replaced by an interim pretreatment function (in-tank leaching and settling, for example). These changes would likely affect glass formulations and waste loadings and have impacts on the downstream vitrification operations. The primary objective of the work described herein was to develop and identify HLW glass compositions and glass forming additive blends for vitrification of two optimized candidate HLW blends which have undergone little or no washing with no other pretreatment, while maintaining high waste loadings, high processing rates, and acceptable glass properties. This was accomplished through a combination of crucible-scale tests, vertical gradient furnace (VGF) tests, and confirmation tests on the DM100 melter system.

• Research Organization: Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States); USDOE Office of River Protection (ORP), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
• DOE Contract Number: AC27-01RV14136
• OSTI ID: 2446712
• Report Number(s): ORP--61794,Rev.0; VSL-17R4260-1; VSL-17R4260-1, Rev. 0
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES