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A statistical approach for identifying nuclear waste glass compositions that will meet quality and processability requirements

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5801825

Borosilicate glass provides a solid, stable medium for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes resulting from the production of nuclear materials for United States defense needs. The glass must satisfy various quality and processability requirements on properties such as chemical durability, viscosity, and electrical conductivity. These properties depend on the composition of the waste glass, which will vary during production due to variations in nuclear waste composition and variations in the glass-making process. This paper discusses the experimentally-based statistical approach being used in the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) Composition Variability Study (CVS). The overall goal of the CVS is to identify the composition region of potential HWVP waste glasses that satisfy with high confidence the applicable quality and processability requirements. This is being accomplished by melting and obtaining property data for simulated nuclear waste glasses of various compositions, and then statistically developing models and other tools needed to meet the goal. 6 refs., 1 fig., 5 tabs.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
5801825
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-18146; CONF-900977--8; ON: DE91011334
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English