The incorporation of fission products into glass for disposal

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1960 · Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/cjce.5450380103· OSTI ID:4194783

Bancroft, A. R.

A method for the incorporation of fission products into glass is being studied at Chalk River. Glass containing up to 50 curies of fission products per kilogram has been made, and used in stability studies in the laboratory and in the field. Nepheline syenite (a rock containing Na, K, and Al silicates) fluxed with up to 30% by weight of lime, is used as the base for the glass. A nitric acid solution of the fission products is added to a pelletized mixture of the solids. When the mixture heated nitric acid is evaporated near 110 deg C. The nitrates are decomposed in the temperature range 130 to 600 deg , and the mixture is melted to form a glass at a maximum temperature of 1350 deg C. Two fission products, ruthenium and cesium, are volatilized to varying degrees from the mixture during heating and create a major contamination are containment problem. The method of processing and results obtained are discussed. The volatilized elements were removed from the off-gas stream by a method which permits their incorporation into glass. Seale-up of the process to treat fission product wastes from power reactors should present no great difficulty other than design of equipment for the remote processing of large quantities of radioactive material at high temperature.

• Research Organization: Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., Chalk River, Ont.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-14-012395
• OSTI ID: 4194783
• Journal Information: Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Journal Name: Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 38; ISSN 0008-4034
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALUMINUM SILICATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CANNING
CESIUM
CONTAMINATION
DECOMPOSITION
DEGASSING
EVAPORATION
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUSED SALTS
GLASS
HEATING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IGNEOUS ROCKS
NEPHELINE SYENITES
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID
PLANNING
POTASSIUM SILICATES
REMOTE HANDLING
ROCKS
RUTHENIUM
SODIUM SILICATES
SOLUTIONS
STABILITY
VOLATILITY