Glass Formulation Development in Support of Melter Testing to Demonstrate Enhanced High Level Waste Throughput
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Glass Formulation Development in Support of Melter Testing to Demonstrate Enhanced High Level Waste Throughput James C. Marra, Kevin M. Fox, David K. Peeler, Thomas B. Edwards, Amanda L. Youchak, James H. Gillam, Jr., John D. Vienna1, Sergey V. Stefanovsky2, and Albert S. Aloy3 Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, U.S.A. 1 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, U.S.A.; 2 SIA Radon Institute, Moscow, Russia; 3 V. G. Khlopin Radium Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia ABSTRACT The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is currently processing high-level waste (HLW) through a Joule-heated melter (JHM) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and plans to vitrify HLW and Low activity waste (LAW) at the Hanford Site. Over the past few years at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), work has concentrated on increasing waste throughput. These efforts are continuing with an emphasis on high alumina concentration feeds. High alumina feeds have presented specific challenges for the JHM technology regarding the ability to increase waste loading yet still maintain product quality and adequate throughput. Alternatively, vitrification technology innovations are also being investigated as a means to increase waste throughput. The Cold Crucible Induction Melter (CCIM) technology affords the opportunity for higher vitrification process temperatures as compared to the current reference JHM technology. Higher process temperatures may allow for higher waste loading and higher melt rate. Glass formulation testing to support melter demonstration testing was recently completed. This testing was specifically aimed at high alumina concentration wastes. Glass composition/property models developed for DWPF were utilized as a guide for formulation development. Both CCIM and JHM testing will be conducted so glass formulation testing was targeted at both technologies with a goal to significantly increase waste loading and maintain melt rate without compromising product quality. INTRODUCTION Vitrification of high level defense wastes has been underway in the United States since 1996 with operations at the DWPF at the Savannah River Site. A recent focus of these operations is on increasing waste throughput. To achieve higher waste throughputs, both improvements in waste loading and increases in melt rate have been targeted [1]. Glass composition development efforts have resulted in increases in waste loading from nominally 28 wt % to 38 wt %. Glass formulation efforts have also resulted in the development of frits that permit higher melt rates. Melter system enhancements such as the incorporation of a melter glass pump have also increased melter production rates [2]. Construction of the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) has begun at the Hanford Site for facilities to vitrify high-level and low activity radioactive wastes, both of which have throughput or glass production rate goals [3]. Future waste compositions will present challenges to continued process improvements. Specifically, DWPF waste compositions with high alumina concentrations
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