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The Impact of Increased Waste Loading on Vitrified HLW Quality and Durability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Nick R Gribble ,
Rick Short ,
Edward Turner  and
Andrew D Riley
Nick R Gribble
Affiliation:
National Nuclear Laboratory, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1PG, Cumbria
Rick Short
Affiliation:
National Nuclear Laboratory, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1PG, Cumbria
Edward Turner
Affiliation:
National Nuclear Laboratory, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1PG, Cumbria
Andrew D Riley
Affiliation:
Sellafield Ltd, Sellafield, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1PG, Cumbria
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Abstract

The Sellafield Waste Vitrification Plant (WVP) immobilises highly active liquid waste (HAL) arising from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in the UK. In order to optimise WVP operations a full scale working replica of a WVP processing line, the Vitrification Test Rig (VTR), was constructed to processes non-active HAL simulants. Recently the VTR has been used to determine an operational envelope for the vitrification of HAL from Magnox reprocessing at a waste oxide incorporation rate in glass of up to 35wt% (compared to a “standard” incorporation rate of 25wt%). This paper discusses the differences in operating conditions necessary to achieve acceptable waste throughput at the increased incorporation rate. The chemical durability of the resulting vitrified product is also discussed, along with the formation of secondary phases, and a comparison is drawn between 35wt% incorporation glasses and products made at the standard 25wt% incorporation.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1193: Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXXIII , 2009 , 283
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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References

1 Bradshaw, K., Gribble, N. R., Hughes, D. O., Riley, A.D., “UK Full-Scale Non-Active Vitrification Development and Implementation of Research Findings onto the Waste Vitrification Plant”, Proceedings of Waste Management 2007 Conference, Tucson AZ, paper # 7197Google Scholar
2 Short, R., Gribble, N. R., Riley, A.D., “Widening the Envelope of UK HLW Vitrification – Experimental Studies with High Waste Loadings and New Product Formulations on a Full Scale non-active Vitrification Plan”, Proceedings of Waste Management 2008 Conference, Tucson AZ, paper # 8348 Google Scholar
3 Ojovan, M. I., Lee, W. E., “New Developments in Glassy Nuclear Wasteforms” Nova Science Publishers, New York (2007).Google Scholar