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Americium-Curium Vitrification Process Development (U)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

A. P. Fellinger ,
M. A. Baich ,
B. J. Hardy ,
G. T. Jannik ,
T. M. Jones ,
J. E. Marra ,
C. B. Miller ,
D. H. Miller ,
D. K. Peeler  and
T. K. Snyder
...Show all authors
A. P. Fellinger
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
M. A. Baich
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
B. J. Hardy
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
G. T. Jannik
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
T. M. Jones
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
J. E. Marra
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
C. B. Miller
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
D. H. Miller
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
D. K. Peeler
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
T. K. Snyder
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
M. E. Stone
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
D. C. Witt
Affiliation:
Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808
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Abstract

The successful demonstration of sequentially drying, calcining and vitrifying an oxalate slurry in the Drain Tube Test Stand (DTTS) vessel provided the process basis for testing on a larger scale in a cylindrical induction heated melter. A single processing issue, that of batch volume expansion, was encountered during the initial stages of testing. The increase in batch volume centered on a sintered frit cap and high temperature bubble formation. The formation of a sintered frit cap expansion was eliminated with the use of cullet. Volume expansions due to high temperature bubble formation (oxygen liberation from cerium reduction) were mitigated in the DTTS melter vessel through a vessel temperature profile that effectively separated the softening point of the glass cullet and the evolving oxygen from cerium reduction. An increased processing temperature of 1470°C and a two hour hold time to fine any remaining bubbles successfully reduced bubbles in the poured glass to an acceptable level. The success of the preliminary process demonstrations provided a workable process basis that was directly applicable to the newly installed Cylindrical Induction Melter (CIM) system, making the batch flowsheet the preferred option for vitrification of the americium-curium surrogate feed stream.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 556: Symposium QQ – Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXII , 1999 , 367
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

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References

REFERENCES

1. Smith, M.E., Fellinger, A.P., Jones, T.M., Miller, C.B., Miller, D.H., Snyder, T.K., Stone, M.E., and Witt, D.C., “Americium/Curium Melter 2A Pilot Tests (U),” submitted for publication in the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Waste Management Technologies in Ceramic and Nuclear Industries, The American Ceramic Society, May 1998.Google Scholar
2. Marra, J. E., Baich, M. A., Fellinger, A. P., Hardy, B. J., Jones, T. M., Miller, C. B., Miller, D. H., Peeler, D. K., Snyder, T. K., Stone, M. E., Whitehouse, J. C., and Witt, D. C., “Americium-Curium Vitrification Pilot Tests - Part II,” to be published in the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Waste Management Technologies in Ceramic and Nuclear Industries, The American Ceramic Society, May 1998.Google Scholar
3. Vienna, J.D., Peeler, D.K., Darab, J.G., Zamecnik, J.R., Li, H., and Marra, J.E., “Chemistry of Rare Earth Oxalate Vitrification,” in this volume, Materials Research Society, 1999.Google Scholar