Behavior of mercury in high-temperature vitrification processes

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Nuclear Technology; (United States)

OSTI ID:6910529

Goles, R W; Holton, K K; Sevigny, G J ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

This paper reports that the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has evaluated the waste processing behavior of mercury in simulated defense waste. A series of tests were performed under various operating conditions using an experimental-scale liquid-fed ceramic melter (LFCM). This solidification technology had no detectable capacity for incorporating mercury into its product, borosilicate glass. Chemically, the condensed mercury effluent was composed almost entirely of chlorides, and except in a low-temperature test, Hg[sub 2]Cl[sub 2] was the primary chloride formed. As a result, combined mercury accounted for most of the insoluble mass collected by the process quench scrubber. Although macroscopic quantities of elemental mercury were never observed in process secondary waste streams, finely divided and dispersed mercury that blackened all condensed Hg[sub 2]Cl[sub 2] residues was capable of saturating the quenched process exhaust with mercury vapor. The vapor pressure of mercury, however, in the quenched melter exhaust was easily and predictably controlled with the off-gas stream chiller.

• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6910529
• Journal Information: Nuclear Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Nuclear Technology; (United States) Vol. 100:3; ISSN 0029-5450; ISSN NUTYBB
• 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
BATTELLE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LABORATORIES
BOROSILICATE GLASS
CERAMIC MELTERS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ELECTRIC FURNACES
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FURNACES
GLASS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MELTING
MERCURY
MERCURY CHLORIDES
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MERCURY HALIDES
METALS
NATIONAL DEFENSE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
PROCESSING
SCRUBBERS
SIMULATION
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VAPOR PRESSURE
VENTURI TUBES
VITRIFICATION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING