Control of radioactive waste-glass melters
- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA)
- Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (USA)
- West Valley Nuclear Services Co., Inc., West Valley, NY (USA)
Slurries of simulated high level radioactive waste and glass formers have been isothermally reacted and analyzed to identify the sequence of the major chemical reactions in waste vitrification, their effect on glass production rate, and the development of leach resistance. Melting rates of waste batches have been increased by the addition of reducing agents (formic acid, sucrose) and nitrates. The rate increases are attributable in part to exothermic reactions which occur at critical stages in the vitrification process. Nitrates must be balanced by adequate reducing agents to avoid the formation of persistent foam, which would destabilize the melting process. The effect of foaming on waste glass production rates is analyzed, and melt rate limitations defined for waste-glass melters, based upon measurable thermophysical properties. Minimum melter residence times required to homogenize glass and assure glass quality are much smaller than those used in current practice. Thus, melter size can be reduced without adversely affecting glass quality. Physical chemistry and localized heat transfer of the waste-glass melting process are examined, to refine the available models for predicting and assuring glass production rate. It is concluded that the size of replacement melters and future waste processing facilities can be significantly decreased if minimum heat transfer requirements for effective melting are met by mechanical agitation. A new class of waste glass melters has been designed, and proof of concept tests completed on simulated High Level Radioactive Waste slurry. Melt rates have exceeded 155 kg m{sup {minus}2} h{sup {minus}1} with slurry feeds (32 lb ft{sup {minus}2} h{sup {minus}1}), and 229 kg kg m{sup {minus}2} h{sup {minus}1} with dry feed (47 lb ft{sup {minus}2} h{sup {minus}1}). This is about 8 times the melt rate possible in conventional waste- glass melters of the same size. 39 refs., 5 figs., 9 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/DP
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-89SR18035
- OSTI ID:
- 6197882
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-RP-90-297; CONF-900407-3; ON: DE91005662; TRN: 91-004449
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 92. annual meeting of the American Ceramic Society, Dallas, TX (USA), 22-26 Apr 1990
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
High Chrome Refractory Characterization: Part I. Impact of Melt Reduction/Oxidation on the Corrosion Mechanism
Yield Stress Reduction of DWPF Melter Feed Slurries
Related Subjects
CERAMIC MELTERS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
VITRIFICATION
CESIUM 137
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTROL THEORY
DESIGN
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FORMIC ACID
HANFORD RESERVATION
HEAT TRANSFER
IDAHO CHEMICAL PROCESSING PLANT
LEACHING
MELTING
NITRATES
OPTIMIZATION
POROSITY
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
SACCHAROSE
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SIMULATION
SLURRIES
SPENT FUELS
STRONTIUM 90
THERMODYNAMICS
URANIUM
US DOE
USA
VISCOSITY
WEST VALLEY PROCESSING PLANT
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DISACCHARIDES
DISPERSIONS
DISSOLUTION
ELECTRIC FURNACES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
FUELS
FURNACES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
MIXTURES
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OLIGOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR MATERIALS
SACCHARIDES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
SUSPENSIONS
US AEC
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing