Glass melter off-gas system pluggages: Cause, significance, and remediation
Liquid high-level nuclear waste will be immobilized at the Savannah River Site (SRS) by vitrification in borosilicate glass. Experimental glass melters, used to develop the vitrification process, have occasionally experienced problems with pluggage of the off-gas line with solid deposits. The deposits were determined to be mixtures of alkali rich chlorides, sulfates, borates, and fluorides with entrained insoluble particles of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} spinel, and frit. The distribution and location of the alkali deposits throughout the off-gas system indicate that the deposits form by vapor-phase transport and condensation. Condensation of the alkali-rich phases cements the entrained particulates causing the off-gas system pluggages. The identification of vapor phase transport as the operational mechanism causing off-gas system pluggages indicates that deposition can be effectively eliminated by increasing the off-gas velocity. The cementitious alkali borates, halides, and sulfates comprising the off-gas line deposits were determined to be water soluble. Thus pluggage can be effectively removed with water and/or steam.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-89SR18035
- OSTI ID:
- 10136832
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-MS-91-009; CONF-9104256-16; ON: DE92009875
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Symposium on nuclear waste management,Cincinnati, OH (United States),28 Apr - 2 May 1991; Other Information: PBD: [1991]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
VITRIFICATION
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
DEPOSITS
QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
BOROSILICATE GLASS
BORATES
HALIDES
SULFATES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
PHASE STUDIES
SAMPLING
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
VAPOR CONDENSATION
052001
400102
360602
WASTE PROCESSING
CHEMICAL AND SPECTRAL PROCEDURES
STRUCTURE AND PHASE STUDIES