Decontamination processes for waste glass canisters

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6890503

Rankin, W N

A Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is currently being designed to convert Savannah River Plant liquid, high-level radioactive waste into a solid form, such as borosilicate glass. To prevent the spread of radioactivity, the outside of the canisters of waste glass must have very low levels of smearable radioactive contamination before they are removed from the DWPF. Several techniques were considered for canister decontamination: high-pressure water spray, electropolishing, chemical dissolution, and abrasive blasting. An abrasive blasting technique using a glass frit slurry has been selected for use in the DWPF. No additional equipment is needed to process waste generated from decontamination. Frit used as the abrasive will be mixed with the waste and fed to the glass melter. In contrast, chemical and electrochemical techniques require more space in the DWPF, and produce large amounts of contaminated by-products, which are difficult to immobilize by vitrification.

• Research Organization: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina 29808
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 6890503
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 59:2; ISSN NUTYB
• 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
ABRASION
ABRASIVES
CLEANING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONTAINERS
CONTAMINATION
DECONTAMINATION
DISPERSIONS
GLASS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SLURRIES
SOLIDIFICATION
SURFACE CONTAMINATION
SURFACE TREATMENTS
SUSPENSIONS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VITRIFICATION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES