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Effect of CST ion exchange loading on the volume of glass produced during the vitrification demonstration at SRTC

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/491497· OSTI ID:491497
ORNL and SRTC have a joint project in which 25,000 gallons of supernate waste from the Melton Valley Storage Tanks at Oak Ridge will be treated by passage through a crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange medium. The CST was designed to sorb cesium, the primary radionuclide (Cs-137) in the supernate of the Melton Valley tanks. A smaller amount of strontium will also be sorbed. At least one drum of the loaded sorbent will then be shipped to SRTC where it will be mixed with glass formers and fed as an aqueous slurry to an 1,150 C joule-heated melter within the SRTC Shielded Cells. The molten glass will be poured into 500 ml stainless steel beakers. The original plan was to place the 500 ml beakers in 30 gallon drums for shipment to and disposal at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). A recent scope change included provisions to dispose of the vitrified waste at SRS. This report addresses requirements for disposal at either NTS or SRS. Current efforts in formulation experimentation will define the CST loading for the demonstration. The glass waste form must meet durability requirements, RCRA metal release limits, and viscosity. Liquidus, and redox requirements for processing. As indicated, higher waste loadings will reduce the processing time required, thus, reducing the overall costs. An added benefit, of course, is the reduction of total waste volume provided by higher loadings, leading to less waste disposal.
Research Organization:
Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-96SR18500
OSTI ID:
491497
Report Number(s):
WSRC-TR--96-0372; ON: DE97060132
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English