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Title: Leaching behavior of glass ceramic nuclear waste forms

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5604658· OSTI ID:5604658

Glass ceramic waste forms have been investigated as alternatives to borosilicate glasses for the immobilization of high-level radioactive waste at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). Three glass ceramic systems were investigated, including basalt, celsian, and fresnoite, each containing 20 wt % simulated high-level waste calcine. Static leach tests were performed on seven glass ceramic materials and one parent glass (before recrystallization). Samples were leached at 90/sup 0/C for 3 to 28 days in deionized water and silicate water. The results, expressed in normalized elemental mass loss, (g/m/sup 2/), show comparable releases from celsian and fresnoite glass ceramics. Basalt glass ceramics demonstrated the lowest normalized elemental losses with a nominal release less than 2 g/m/sup 2/ when leached in polypropylene containers. The releases from basalt glass ceramics when leached in silicate water were nearly identical with those in deionized water. The overall leachability of celsian and fresnoite glass ceramics was improved when silicate water was used as the leachant.

Research Organization:
Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
5604658
Report Number(s):
PNL-4022; ON: DE82005595; TRN: 82-004785
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English