Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T18:32:37.238Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Vitrification of High-Level Radioactive Waste by Sintering Under Pressure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

W. Lutze ,
W. Gong ,
A. Abdelouas ,
R. C. Ewing  and
C. Scales
W. Lutze
Affiliation:
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
W. Gong
Affiliation:
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
A. Abdelouas
Affiliation:
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
R. C. Ewing
Affiliation:
The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2104, USA
C. Scales
Affiliation:
British Nuclear Fuels plc, Sellafield Seascale Cumbria CA20 1PG, England
Get access

Abstract

Sintered silicate glass waste forms with a continuous glass phase and embedded but not completely dissolved waste particles were prepared by powder technology. We used a typical defense waste compositions, containing 38 wt.% of ZrO2 and prepared sinter glass samples with 30, 35, and 40 wt.% waste loading at 830°C and 27.6 MPa, by hot isostatic pressing. The glass former was amorphous silica powder. Simulated waste was added as calcine. Samples were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that extensive sintering took place, particularly with the 40 wt.% samples. Waste components, such as Na2O, CaO, MnO2, La203, Fe2O3, NiO, Cr2O3, and P2O5, dissolved completely in the continuous glass phase. ZrO2 was partly dissolved and occurred as aggregates of tiny baddeleyite crystals. The porosity of the samples was 2-3%, indicating that the optimum sintering conditions have not been met to reach porosities <1%.

Chemical durability tests were carried out with sintered glass with 35 wt.% waste loading in deionized water at 90°C under static conditions, showing that the glass is at least as chemically durable as a borosilicate glass with 31 wt.% melted at 1350°C.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 506: Symposium – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXI , 1997 , 223
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1 Hrma, P. R. et al. , Property/Composition Relationships for Hanford High-Level Waste Glasses Melting at 1150°C, PNL-10359, Vol. 1 and 2 (1994)Google Scholar
2 Grünewald, W. et al. , Vitrification of Noble Metals Containing NCAW Simulant with an Engineering Scale Melter, PHTD-K0967, Rev. O, KfK (1993)Google Scholar
3 Ross, W. A., Report No. BNWL-SA-5362 (1975)Google Scholar
4 Terai, R. et al. , Osaka Kogyo Gijutsu Shikenjo 29, 36 (1978)Google Scholar
5 Macedo, P. B., Tran, D. C., Simmons, J. H., Saleh, M., Barkatt, A., Simmons, C. J., Lagakos, N., DeWitt, E., Proc. Conf. on Ceramics in Nuclear Waste Management, Cincinnati, OH, eds. Chikalla, T. and Mendel, J. E. (Technical Information Center, DOE), p. 321 (1979)Google Scholar
6 Gahlert, S. and Ondracek, G., Sintered Glass, in Radioactive Waste Forms for theFuture, eds. Lutze, W. and Ewing, R.C., North-Holland (1988)Google Scholar
7 Bevilaqua, A. M., Immovilization de Residuos Liquidos de Alta Actividad Simulados en Vidrios Sinterizados, Ph.D. Thesis, Universidad National de Cuyo, Bariloche, S. C. de, Argentina (1992)Google Scholar
8 Nishioka, M., Hirai, S., Yanagisawa, K., and Yamasaki, N., Solidification of Glass Powder with Simulated High-Level Radioactive Waste during Hydrothermal Hot Pressing, J Am. Ceram. Soc. 72, 317 (1990)Google Scholar
9 Nelson, L. O. and Vinjamuri, K., Results of intermediate-scale hot isostatic press can experiments, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (1995).Google Scholar
10 Ringwood, A. E., Synroc, in Radioactive Waste Form for the Future, ed. Lutze, W. and Ewing, R.C. (North-Holland, New York), pp. 233–334 (1988).Google Scholar
11 "MCC-1P Static Leach Test Method" in Nuclear Waste Materials Handbook, DOE/TIC-11400, 1982 Google Scholar
12 Advocat, T., Crovisier, L. L., Dussossoy, J. L., and Vernaz, E., Effect of MgO on the short-term and long-term stability of R7T7 and M7 nuclear waste glass in aqueous media. Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 294, 177 (1993)Google Scholar
13 Volf, M. B., Chemical Approach to Glass, Glass Science and Technology 7, Elsevier, (1984).Google Scholar
14 Nogues, J.L., Les Mécanismes de Corrosion des Verres de Confinement des Produits de Fission; Thèse-Université des Sciences et Techniques du Languedoc, France (1984).Google Scholar