Development of a Transportable Vitrification System for Mixed Waste

Development of a Transportable Vitrification System for Mixed Waste

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Published: 1995

Total Pages: 6

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The US DOE through the Mixed Waste Integrated Program, has identified a need to move mixed waste vitrification technology from the laboratory to the field as rapidly as possible. A great deal of work over the last few years has shown the feasibility of immobilizing selected hazardous waste streams in a vitrified product. Lab-scale work has been extended to pilot-scale tests, usually with surrogates of the actual waste. DOE felt that the technology was mature enough to allow demonstration in the field, on actual wastes, with units that would be prototypic of full sized waste treatment equipment. To this end, DOE's Office of Technology Development sponsored the Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) to specify, procure, test, and operate a field scale demonstration using mobile equipment. Oak Ridge Reservation was chosen as the initial location for the field demonstration and Martin Marietta Reservation was chosen as the initial location for the field demonstration and Martin Marietta Energy Systems (MMES) tasked with all permitting, site preparation, and field support activities. During September 1993, WSRC used a ''Vendor Forum'' to solicit preliminary proposals for the Transportable Vitrification System (TVS). A number of quality proposals were received and evaluated. A vendor was selected and detailed negotiations were completed in August 1994, at which time a contract was signed for the TVS. In parallel, WSRC opened a dialogue with MMES to explore candidate waste streams at the Oak Ridge Reservation for the first TVS vitrification campaign. After some preliminary work, a group of waste water sludges were selected. The first of these to be demonstrated with the TVS will be the West End Treatment Facility (WETF) sludge. This paper describes the development of the specification for the TVS, the design and construction activities to date, and ongoing efforts for permitting and site support. The schedule for field application is also discussed.


Transportable Vitrification System Demonstration on Mixed Waste. Revision 1

Transportable Vitrification System Demonstration on Mixed Waste. Revision 1

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Published: 1998

Total Pages: 11

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The Transportable Vitrification System (TVS) is a large scale, fully integrated, vitrification system for the treatment of low-level and mixed wastes in the form of sludges, soils, incinerator ash, and many other waste streams. It was demonstrated on surrogate waste at Clemson University and at the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) prior to treating actual mixed waste. Treatment of a combination of dried B and C Pond sludge and CNF sludge was successfully demonstrated at ORR in 1997. The demonstration produced 7,616 kg of glass from 7,328 kg of mixed wastes with a 60% reduction in volume. Glass formulations for the wastes treated were developed using a combination of laboratory crucible studies with the actual wastes and small melter studies at Clemson with both surrogate and actual wastes. Initial characterization of the B and C Pond sludge had not shown the presence of carbon or fluoride, which required a modified glass formulation be developed to maintain proper glass redox and viscosity. The CNF sludge challenges the glass formulations due to high levels of phosphate and iron. The demonstration was delayed several times by permitting problems, a glass leak, and electrical problems. The demonstration showed that the two wastes could be successfully vitrified, although the design glass production rate was not achieved. The glass produced met the Universal Treatment Standards and the emissions from the TVS were well within the allowable permit limits.


Los Alamos National Laboratory Simulated Sludge Vitrification Demonstration

Los Alamos National Laboratory Simulated Sludge Vitrification Demonstration

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Published: 1994

Total Pages: 21

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Technologies are being developed to convert hazardous and mixed wastes to a form suitable for permanent disposal. Vitrification, which has been declared the Best Demonstrated Available Technology (BDAT) for high-level radioactive waste disposal by the EPA, is capable of producing a highly durable wasteform that minimizes disposal volumes through organic destruction, moisture evaporation, and porosity reduction. However, this technology must be demonstrated over a range of waste characteristics, including compositions, chemistries, moistures, and physical characteristics to ensure that it is suitable for hazardous and mixed waste treatment. This project plans to demonstrate vitrification of simulated wastes that are considered representatives of wastes found throughout the DOE complex. For the most part, the primary constituent of the wastes is flocculation aids, such as Fe(OH)3, and natural filter aids, such as diatomaceous earth and perlite. The filter aids consist mostly of silica, which serves as an excellent glass former; hence, the reason why vitrification is such a viable option. LANL is currently operating a liquid waste processing plant which produces an inorganic sludge similar to other waste water treatment streams. Since this waste has characteristics that make it suitable for vitrification and the likelihood of success is high, it shall be tested at CU. The objective of this task is to characterize the process behavior and glass product formed upon vitrification of simulated LANL sludge. The off-gases generated from the production runs will also be characterized to help further develop vitrification processes for mixed and low level wastes.


Vitrification of M-Area Mixed (Hazardous and Radioactive) F006 Wastes

Vitrification of M-Area Mixed (Hazardous and Radioactive) F006 Wastes

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Published: 2001

Total Pages: 5

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Technologies are being developed by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Nuclear Facility sites to convert low-level and mixed (hazardous and radioactive) wastes to a solid stabilized waste form for permanent disposal. One of the alternative technologies is vitrification into a borosilicate glass waste form. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared vitrification the Best Demonstrated Available Technology (BDAT) for high-level radioactive mixed waste and produced a Handbook of Vitrification Technologies for Treatment of Hazardous and Radioactive Waste. The DOE Office of Technology Development (OTD) has taken the position that mixed waste needs to be stabilized to the highest level reasonably possible to ensure that the resulting waste forms will meet both current and future regulatory specifications. Stabilization of low level and hazardous wastes in glass are in accord with the 1988 Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC), then the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL), Professional Planning Committee (PPC) recommendation that high nitrate containing (low-level) wastes be incorporated into a low temperature glass (via a sol-gel technology). The investigation into this new technology was considered timely because of the potential for large waste volume reduction compared to solidification into cement.


Oak Ridge National Laboratory West End Treatment Facility Simulated Sludge Vitrification Demonstration, Revision 1

Oak Ridge National Laboratory West End Treatment Facility Simulated Sludge Vitrification Demonstration, Revision 1

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Published: 1994

Total Pages: 26

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Technologies are being developed by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Nuclear Facility sites to convert hazardous and mixed wastes to a form suitable for permanent disposal. Vitrification, which has been declared the Best Demonstrated Available Technology for high-level radioactive waste disposal by the EPA, is capable of producing a highly durable wasteform that minimizes disposal volumes through organic destruction, moisture evaporation, and porosity reduction. However, this technology must be demonstrated over a range of waste characteristics, including compositions, chemistries, moistures, and physical characteristics to ensure that it is suitable for hazardous and mixed waste treatment. These wastes are typically wastewater treatment sludges that are categorized as listed wastes due to the process origin or organic solvent content, and usually contain only small amounts of hazardous constituents. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) West End Treatment Facility's (WETF) sludge is considered on of these representative wastes. The WETF is a liquid waste processing plant that generates sludge from the biodenitrification and precipitation processes. An alternative wasteform is needed since the waste is currently stored in epoxy coated carbon steel tanks, which have a limited life. Since this waste has characteristics that make it suitable for vitrification with a high likelihood of success, it was identified as a suitable candidate by the Mixed Waste Integrated Program (MWIP) for testing at CU. The areas of special interest with this sludge are (1) minimum nitrates, (2) organic destruction, and (3) waste water treatment sludges containing little or no filter aid.


Vitrification of Low Level and Mixed (radioactive and Hazardous) Wastes

Vitrification of Low Level and Mixed (radioactive and Hazardous) Wastes

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Published: 1994

Total Pages: 9

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Borosilicate glasses will be used in the USA and in Europe immobilize radioactive high level liquid wastes (HLLW) for ultimate geologic disposal. Simultaneously, tehnologies are being developed by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Nuclear Facility sites to immobilize low-level and mixed (radioactive and hazardous) wastes (LLMW) in durable glass formulations for permanent disposal or long-term storage. Vitrification of LLMW achieves large volume reductions (86--97 %) which minimize the associated long-term storage costs. Vitrification of LLMW also ensures that mixed wastes are stabilized to the highest level reasonably possible, e.g. equivalent to HLLW, in order to meet both current and future regulatory waste disposal specifications The tehnologies being developed for vitrification of LLMW rely heavily on the technologies developed for HLLW and the lessons learned about process and product control.


Vitrification as a Low-level Radioactive Mixed Waste Treatment Technology at Argonne National Laboratory

Vitrification as a Low-level Radioactive Mixed Waste Treatment Technology at Argonne National Laboratory

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Published: 1995

Total Pages: 13

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Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) is developing plans to use vitrification to treat low-level radioactive mixed wastes (LLMW) generated onsite. The ultimate objective of this project is to install a full-scale vitrification system at ANL-E capable of processing the annual generation and historic stockpiles of selected LLMW streams. This project is currently in the process of identifying a range of processible glass compositions that can be produced from actual mixed wastes and additives, such as boric acid or borax. During the formulation of these glasses, there has been an emphasis on maximizing the waste content in the glass (70 to 90 wt %), reducing the overall final waste volume, and producing a stabilized low-level radioactive waste glass. Crucible glass studies with actual mixed waste streams have produced alkali borosilicate glasses that pass the Toxic Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test. These same glass compositions, spiked with toxic metals well above the expected levels in actual wastes, also pass the TCLP test. These results provide compelling evidence that the vitrification system and the glass waste form will be robust enough to accommodate expected variations in the LLMW streams from ANL-E. Approximately 40 crucible melts will be studied to establish a compositional envelope for vitrifying ANL-E mixed wastes. Also being determined is the identity of volatilized metals or off-gases that will be generated.