Characterization of melter slurries vitrified by microwave
Liquid high-level nuclear waste will be immobilized at the Savannah River Site (SRS) by vitrification in borosilicate glass in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). In this facility, control of the oxidation/reduction (redox) equilibrium in the glass melter is critical for processing of the nuclear waste. As part of the DWPF process control strategy, the glass redox expected in the melter will be determined by measuring the ratio of ferrous to ferric ions in vitrified slurry from the slurry mix evaporator (SME). Chemical analysis of this vitrified feed will also be used for other process control constraints which are related to glass viscosity, liquidus, and waste component solubility. In addition, the canisters of borosilicate waste glass produced in the DWPF must comply with the Waste Acceptance Preliminary Specifications (WAPS) established by the DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. Specification 1.1.2 requires that the elemental composition of the glass be reported. The elemental analyses will be performed on vitrified melter feed taken from the melter feed tank (MFT). Conventional vitrification of SME/MFT slurries takes 4 hours at the DWPF melt temperature of 1150{degrees}C. Microwave vitrification of melter feed slurries has been shown to significantly reduce the time required to vitrify slurry samples.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-89SR18035
- OSTI ID:
- 5885592
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-TR-90-204-Rev.1; ON: DE92008806
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BOROSILICATE GLASS
CERAMIC MELTERS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRIC FURNACES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FURNACES
GLASS
HEATING
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MATERIALS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
MIXTURES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
QUALITY ASSURANCE
RADIATION HEATING
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SLURRIES
SUSPENSIONS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VITRIFICATION
WASTES