Improved Loading of Sulfate-Limited Waste in Glass
- V.G. Khlopin Radium Institute, 28.2 Murinsky Pr., RF-194021, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation)
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Battelle Blvd., Richland, WA 99352 (United States)
- Savannah River National Laboratory, 227 Gateway Drive, Aiken, SC 29803 (United States)
The allowable sulfate concentration limits waste loading in borosilicate glasses (e.g., Hanford low-activity waste [LAW] and Idaho National Laboratory sodium-bearing waste. By the Hanford baseline formulation method, the tolerated amount of sulfate in LAW is 0.77 wt% (as SO{sub 3}) at the lowest soda contents, decreasing to 0.35 wt% at the highest soda contents. Roughly half of the Hanford LAW (on a glass mass basis) will be limited by sulfate tolerance of the glass melt. If the allowable concentrations of sulfate were to be increased only moderately, the cost and time required to vitrify the Hanford LAW would be significantly reduced A series of high-sulfate glass formulations were developed by Khlopin Radium Institute (Russian Federation) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. These glasses were tested at crucible, small melter, and larger test melter scales for not only sulfate retention but key product quality criteria as well. The key properties of the glasses to be disposed of at Hanford were measured (product consistency test and vapor hydration test), and processing-related properties (viscosity and electrical conductivity) were predicted using property composition models. The results for 28 glass compositions tested at crucible-scale, 6 glass compositions tested at small-melter-scale, and 4 glass compositions tested at larger melter scale are presented in this paper. The melter tests were all performed with waste composition and processing parameters (e.g., bubbling rate, melting rate, temperature) prototypic for the Hanford LAW melter design. The results show that sulfate loadings as high as 1.5 wt% with soda concentrations as high as 20 wt% are viable with improved formulation methods. These results suggest that the loading of sulfate-limited Hanford LAW may be increased by over 300%, relative to the current formulation. However, additional work is recommended before implementing the new formulations. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 13023, Tucson, AZ, 85732-3023 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 21208769
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-09-WM-06331; TRN: US09V1080079556
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management 2006 Symposium - WM'06 - Global Accomplishments in Environmental and Radioactive Waste Management: Education and Opportunity for the Next Generation of Waste Management Professionals, Tucson, AZ (United States), 26 Feb - 2 Mar 2006; Other Information: Country of input: France; 13 refs
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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