Decontamination of Savannah River Plant waste glass canisters
A Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is currently being designed to convert Savannah River Plant (SRP) liquid, high-level radioactive waste into a solid form, such as borosilicate glass. The outside of the canisters of waste glass must have very low levels of smearable radioactive contamination before they are removed from the DWPF to prevent the spread of radioactivity. Several techniques were considered for canister decontamination: high-pressure water spray, electropolishing, chemical dissolution, and abrasive blasting. An abrasive blasting technique using a glass frit slurry has been selected for use in the DWPF. No additional equipment is needed to process waste generated from decontamination. Frit used as the abrasive will be mixed with the waste and fed to the glass melter. In contrast, chemical and electrochemical techniques require more space in the DWPF, and produce large amounts of contaminated byproducts which are difficult to immobilize by vitrification.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 5209618
- Report Number(s):
- DP-MS-81-112; CONF-820903-3; ON: DE82015510
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Decontamination processes for waste glass canisters
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ABRASION
CLEANING
CONTAINERS
DECONTAMINATION
DISSOLUTION
ELECTROLYSIS
ELECTROPOLISHING
EROSION
GLASS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
JETS
LYSIS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLISHING
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SURFACE CLEANING
SURFACE FINISHING
VITRIFICATION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WATER