Compositions and Durabilities of Glasses for Immobilization of Plutonium and Uranium

Technical Report · Tue Feb 28 04:00:00 EST 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/63953· OSTI ID:63953

Ramsey, W G; Bibler, N E; Meaker, T F

As the nuclear weapon arsenals of the United States and the Former Soviet Union are reduced, metric tonnage quantities of fissile material must be dispositioned. One of the potential disposition options for fissile weapons material is vitrification into a stable form -- essentially a plutonium or uranium single phase glass product. Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) at Savannah River Site (SRS) is actively developing suitable glass formulations for the long term safe storage of plutonium and uranium. These investigations are also being extended to develop glasses for the stabilization and storage of kilogram amounts of neptunium, americium, and curium that are currently stored as solutions in the process canyons at SRS -- thus the glasses are called actinide glasses. SRTC is also in the process of developing a remote process demonstration which can produce metric tonnage quantities of the glasses. This paper discusses the chemical compositions and durabilities of two types of actinide glasses under development. One of the glasses is a borosilicate, and the other an iron phosphate. In this initial study thorium and uranium were used as the actinides. Because of the low radioactivity of these elements, the glasses could be prepared and tested on the bench top. In studies beginning in FY `95, glasses containing neptunium, plutonium, americium and curium will be produced. These glasses will be prepared and tested remotely in the shielded cells and glovebox facilities at Savannah River Technology Center. In the initial study, a considerable number (>20) of thorium and uranium bearing glasses have been prepared. An equivalent number of rare earth surrogate (non-radioactive) glasses have also been prepared and tested. The glasses were prepared by mixing dry chemicals and melting them at 1425C for the borosilicate glasses and at 1100C for the iron phosphate glasses. (Abstract Truncated)

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 63953
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS--94-0550; CONF-950216--142; ON: DE95060124
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
AMERICIUM
BOROSILICATE GLASS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CURIUM
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GLASS
IRON PHOSPHATES
NEPTUNIUM
PLUTONIUM
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
URANIUM
VITRIFICATION
WASTE FORMS