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A Comparison of Alumino and Calcium Phosphate Sintering Aids for Consolidation of Halide Containing Wastes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2012

Shirley K. Fong  and
Brian Metcalfe
Shirley K. Fong
Affiliation:
Materials Science Research Division, AWE, Aldermaston, Berkshire RG7 4PR, UK
Brian Metcalfe
Affiliation:
Materials Science Research Division, AWE, Aldermaston, Berkshire RG7 4PR, UK
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Abstract

A process has been developed at AWE for the immobilisation of halide containing wastes arising from the reprocessing of plutonium. Initially, the wastes are calcined with a calcium phosphate to form a number of target host phases, β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and apatite for the immobilisation of actinides, and apatite and spodiosite for halide.

These mineral phases are then mixed with a glass binder, cold pressed and sintered to form a monolithic waste form. Two glass binders GTI/168, a sodium alumino phosphate glass and GTI/206, a sodium calcium phosphate glass were compared to optimise the halide retention in the waste-form. Analysis from powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that neither glass stabilises spodiosite. However, GTI/206 glass retains 10 wt.% more apatite and results in a much smaller proportion of the non-chloride bearing whitlockite phase than GTI/168.

In all compositions where GTI/168 glass was used as a sintering aid, the sodium deficient and calcium enriched glass was present as an amorphous matrix phase.

Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1475: Symposium NW – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXXV , 2012 , imrc11-1475-nw35-p10
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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References

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