Glass Formulation Development and Testing for the Vitrification of Oak Ridge Tank Waste
Glass Formulation Development and Testing for the Vitrification of Oak Ridge Tank Waste

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Published: 1997

Total Pages: 8

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As part of joint project between the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC), radioactive waste from four different ORNL tank farms will be immobilized. This work, which is funded by the DOE Office of Science and Technology, is designed to create a direct comparison between grouting and vitrification technologies. SRTC efforts have been focused on developing and testing glass formulations for the vitrification of the tank wastes. The radioactive waste is from four different ORNL tank farms: Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVST), Bethel Valley Evaporator Service Tanks (BVEST), Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT), and Old Hydrafracture Tanks (OHF). The sludges in these tanks contain transuranic radionuclides at levels which will make the final waste form (at reasonable waste loadings) TRU. Glass is an acceptable waste form because of its ability to accept a wide variety of components into its network structure. This is important since the waste varies significantly from tank to tank and from tank farm to tank farm. Therefore, glass formulation efforts have centered on developing a formulation that is robust enough to handle large fluctuations in waste composition. Crucible studies have been performed with simulated GAAT, MVST and BVEST sludges. The results of these tests indicate that high waste loadings can be obtained in the glass to significantly reduce the waste volume. This paper will present the results of the glass formulation efforts.

Glass Formulation Development for the Vitrification of Oak Ridge Tank Waste
Glass Formulation Development for the Vitrification of Oak Ridge Tank Waste

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Published: 1998

Total Pages: 6

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Radioactive waste from four different Oak Ridge tank farms will be immobilized. The sludges in these tanks contain transuranic radionuclides and RCRA metals at levels which will make the final waste from both TRU and mixed. The final waste form in the immobilization of these sludges may be glass because of its ability to accept a wide variety of components into its network structure. The results of these tests indicate that sufficient waste loadings can be obtained in the glass to significantly reduce the waste volume. This paper will present the results of the glass formulation efforts.

The Office of Environmental Management Technical Reports: A Bibliography
The Office of Environmental Management Technical Reports: A Bibliography

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Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 1428918744

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The Office of Environmental Management's (EM) technical reports bibliography is an annual publication that contains information on scientific and technical reports sponsored by the Office of Environmental Management added to the Energy Science and Technology Database from July 1, 1994 through June 30, 1995. This information is divided into the following categories: Focus Areas, Cross-Cutting Programs, and Support Programs. In addition, a category for general information is included. EM's Office of Science and Technology sponsors this bibliography.

Waste Acceptance and Waste Loading for Vitrified Oak Ridge Tank Waste
Waste Acceptance and Waste Loading for Vitrified Oak Ridge Tank Waste

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Published: 1997

Total Pages: 11

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The Office of Science and Technology of the DOE has funded a joint project between the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) to evaluate vitrification and grouting for the immobilization of sludge from ORNL tank farms. The radioactive waste is from the Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT), the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVST), the Bethel Valley Evaporator Service Tanks (BVEST), and the Old Hydrofractgure Tanks (OHF). Glass formulation development for sludge from these tanks is discussed in an accompanying article for this conference (Andrews and Workman). The sludges contain transuranic radionuclides at levels which will make the glass waste form (at reasonable waste loadings) TRU. Therefore, one of the objectives for this project was to ensure that the vitrified waste form could be disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). In order to accomplish this, the waste form must meet the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). An alternate pathway is to send the glass waste forms for disposal at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). A sludge waste loading in the feed of 6 wt percent will lead to a waste form which is non-TRU and could potentially be disposed of at NTS. The waste forms would then have to meet the requirements of the NTS WAC. This paper presents SRTC's efforts at demonstrating that the glass waste form produced as a result of vitrification of ORNL sludge will meet all the criteria of the WIPP WAC or NTS WAC.

Glass Formulation Development and Testing for the Vitrification of Cesium-loaded Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST).
Glass Formulation Development and Testing for the Vitrification of Cesium-loaded Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST).

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Published: 1997

Total Pages: 8

ISBN-13:

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Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST) is an inorganic ion exchange medium that was designed to sorb Cs-137, Sr-90 and several other radionuclides. CST exhibits high selectivity for the ion exchange of cesium from highly alkaline solutions containing large quantities of sodium. Through the Tanks Focus Area (TFA), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was funded to demonstrate the effectiveness of CST as an ion exchange material using supernate from the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVST). After processing the supernate through columns containing CST, the CST will be sluiced into drums and dewatered. Some of the CST will be shipped to the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) to demonstrate vitrification of the cesium-loaded CST in the shielded cells facility of SRTC. Vitrification is considered to be the Best Demonstrated Available Technology for immobilization of high-level waste and is currently being investigated for the treatment of low-level/mixed wastes. Vitrification of cesium-loaded CST offers a number of benefits. Vitrification: (1) is less expensive than many of the technologies available; (2) offers a large volume reduction; (3) produces a waste form that is very durable; (4) is an established technology; (5) can be used for a wide variety of waste streams; and (6) produces a waste form that is resistant to radiation damage. Prior to a full-scale demonstration, a glass formulation that will produce a glass that is both processable and durable must be developed. Crucible studies using unloaded CST and reagent grade glass-forming chemicals (or frit) were performed. Initially, scoping studies were performed to determine the chemicals necessary to form a glass. A screening experiment was then performed to determine the quantity of chemicals required. Finally, tests were conducted to determine the waste loading to be used during processing in the melter.

Vitrification Development for Sludge and Ash Mixed Wastes
Vitrification Development for Sludge and Ash Mixed Wastes

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Published: 1994

Total Pages: 7

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Preliminary glass development was carried out on four surrogate wastes. The surrogate wastes evaluated were ash and sludge from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, sludge from Rocky Flats, and sludge from Los Alamos National Laboratory. The work involved numerous melting trails followed by visual homogeneity examination and short-duration leach testing on glass specimens. Melter testing on selected compositions was performed with a laboratory-scale joule-heated furnace. With proper formulations and melter operating parameters, these mixed wastes appear to be readily adaptable to available vitrification technology.

Glass Optimization for Vitrification of Hanford Site Low-level Tank Waste
Glass Optimization for Vitrification of Hanford Site Low-level Tank Waste

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Publisher:

Published: 2001

Total Pages:

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The radioactive defense wastes stored in 177 underground single-shell tanks (SST) and double-shell tanks (DST) at the Hanford Site will be separated into low-level and high-level fractions. One technology activity underway at PNNL is the development of glass formulations for the immobilization of the low-level tank wastes. A glass formulation strategy has been developed that describes development approaches to optimize glass compositions prior to the projected LLW vitrification facility start-up in 2005. Implementation of this strategy requires testing of glass formulations spanning a number of waste loadings, compositions, and additives over the range of expected waste compositions. The resulting glasses will then be characterized and compared to processing and performance specifications yet to be developed. This report documents the glass formulation work conducted at PNL in fiscal years 1994 and 1995 including glass formulation optimization, minor component impacts evaluation, Phase 1 and Phase 2 melter vendor glass development, liquidus temperature and crystallization kinetics determination. This report also summarizes relevant work at PNNL on high-iron glasses for Hanford tank wastes conducted through the Mixed Waste Integrated Program and work at Savannah River Technology Center to optimize glass formulations using a Plackett-Burnam experimental design.