Development and characterization of basalt-glass ceramics for the immobilization of transuranic wastes

Technical Report · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6875563· OSTI ID:6875563

Lokken, R O; Chick, L A; Thomas, L E

Basalt-based waste forms were developed for the immobilization of transuranic (TRU) contaminated wastes. The specific waste studied is a 3:1 blend of process sludge and incinerator ash. Various amounts of TRU blended waste were melted with Pomona basalt powder. The vitreous products were subjected to a variety of heat treatment conditions to form glass ceramics. The total crystallinity of the glass ceramic, ranging from 20 to 45 wt %, was moderately dependent on composition and heat treatment conditions. Three parent glasses and four glass ceramics with varied composition and heat treatment were produced for detailed phase characterization and leaching. Both parent glasses and glass ceramics were mainly composed of a continuous, glassy matrix phase. This glass matrix entered into solution during leaching in both types of materials. The Fe-Ti rich dispersed glass phase was not significantly degraded by leaching. The glass ceramics, however, exhibited four to ten times less elemental releases during leaching than the parent glasses. The glass ceramic matrix probably contains higher Fe and Na and lower Ca and Mg relative to the parent glass matrix. The crystallization of augite in the glass ceramics is believed to contribute to the improved leach rates. Leach rates of the basalt glass ceramic are compared to those of other TRU nuclear waste forms containing /sup 239/Pu.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6875563
• Report Number(s): PNL-4136; ON: DE83001225
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
BASALT
CERAMICS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
GLASS
HEAT TREATMENTS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
KINETICS
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
MICROSTRUCTURE
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PLUTONIUM
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ROCKS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SLUDGES
SOLIDIFICATION
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES