Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T18:03:39.590Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Plutonium Feed Impurity Testing in Lanthanide Borosilicate (LaBS) Glass

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Kevin M. Fox ,
James C. Marra ,
Thomas B. Edwards ,
Elizabeth N. Hoffman  and
Charles L. Crawford
Kevin M. Fox
Affiliation:
Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, U.S.A.
James C. Marra
Affiliation:
Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, U.S.A.
Thomas B. Edwards
Affiliation:
Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, U.S.A.
Elizabeth N. Hoffman
Affiliation:
Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, U.S.A.
Charles L. Crawford
Affiliation:
Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, U.S.A.
Get access

Abstract

A vitrification technology utilizing a lanthanide borosilicate (LaBS) glass is a viable option for dispositioning excess weapons-useable plutonium that is not suitable for processing into mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. A significant effort to develop a glass formulation and vitrification process to immobilize plutonium was completed in the mid-1990s. The LaBS glass formulation was found to be capable of immobilizing in excess of 10 wt % Pu and to be tolerant of a range of impurities. A more detailed study is now needed to quantify the ability of the glass to accommodate the anticipated impurities associated with the Pu feeds now slated for disposition.

The database of Pu feeds was reviewed to identify impurity species and concentration ranges for these impurities. Based on this review, a statistically designed test matrix of glass compositions was developed to evaluate the ability of the LaBS glass to accommodate the impurities. Sixty surrogate LaBS glass compositions were prepared in accordance with the statistically designed test matrix. The heterogeneity (e.g. degree of crystallinity) and durability (as measured by the Product Consistency Test – Method A (PCT–A)) of the glasses were used to assess the effects of impurities on glass quality.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1107: Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXXI , 2008 , 397
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Vienna, J.D., Alexander, D.L., Li, H., Schweiger, M.J., Peeler, D.K. and Meaker, T.F., “Plutonium Dioxide Dissolution in Glass,” U.S. Department of Energy Report PNNL-11346, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA (1996).Google Scholar
2 Meaker, T.F. and Peeler, D.K., “Solubility of Independent Plutonium Bearing Feed Streams in a Hf-Based LaBS Frit, contained in: Plutonium Immobilization: The Glass Option – A Compendium of Reports and Presentations,” U.S. Department of Energy Report WSRC-RP-97-00902, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC (1997).Google Scholar
3 Lopez, C., Deschanels, X., Bart, J.M., Boubals, J.M., Auwer, C. Den and Simoni, E., “Solubility of Actinide Surrogates in Nuclear Glasses,” Journal of Nuclear Materials, 312 (2003) 76–80.Google Scholar
4 Zamecnik, J. R., Jones, T. M., Miller, D. H., Herman, D. T. and Marra, J. C., “Process Testing to Support the Design of a Plutonium Vitrification Facility,” Waste Management '07 Proceedings, American Nuclear Society, Inc., LaGrange Park, IL, 2007.Google Scholar
5 Moore, E.N. and Allender, J.S., “Projected Characteristics of Nominal Feeds to Plutonium Disposition Project,” U.S. Department of Energy Report SRNL-OPD-2007-00008, Washington Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC (2007).Google Scholar
6 Cornel, J.A., Experiments with Mixtures: Designs, Models, and the Analysis of Mixture Data, John Wiley and Sons, New York (2002).Google Scholar
7 JMPTM, Ver. 6.0.2, [Computer Software] SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC (2005).Google Scholar
8 ASTM, “Standard Test Methods for Determining Chemical Durability of Nuclear Waste Glasses: The Product Consistency Test (PCT),” ASTM C-1285, (2002).Google Scholar
9 Jantzen, C.M., Bibler, N. E., Beam, D. C., Crawford, C. L. and Pickett, M. A., “Characterization of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Environmental Assessment (EA) Glass Standard Reference Material,” U.S. Department of Energy Report WSRC-TR-92-346, Revision 1, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC (1993).Google Scholar
10 Marra, J.C., Crawford, C.L. and Bibler, N.E., “Glass Fabrication and Product Consistency Testing of Lanthanide Borosilicate Frit X Composition for Plutonium Disposition,” U.S. Department of Energy Report WSRC-STI-2006-00318, Washington Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC (2006).Google Scholar