Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Leachability is one of the most important properties of solidified nuclear waste forms because it provides information on the performance and the subsequent safety and reliability that the waste products will possess. One of the most important experimental findings in the leachability field has been the discovery and subsequent detailed characterization of protective surface layers that form on waste glass during leaching. These layers can have a beneficial effect on product performance while in storage by improving productdurability with time. As a result of surface layer formation and the effects on subsequent product leaching characteristics, new qualitative and quantitative leaching models have recently been proposed.