This report discusses a methodology for increasing the efficiency and decreasing the cost of vitrifying nuclear waste by optimizing waste-glass formulation. This methodology involves collecting and generating a property-composition database (for glass properties that determine waste-glass processability and acceptability) and relating these properties to glass composition via property-composition models. The report explains how the property-composition models are developed, fitted to data and evaluated, validated using additional data, used for glass-formulation optimization, and continuously updated in response to changes in waste-composition estimates and processing technologies. Further, the report describes a waste-glass property-composition database compiled from literature sources and presents the results from a critical evaluation and screening of the data for applicability to Hanford waste glasses. Finally, the report provides interim property-composition models for melt viscosity, liquidus temperature (with spinel and zircon primary crystalline phases), and Product Consistency Test normalized releases of B, Na, and Li. Models were fitted to a subset of the database deemed most relevant for the anticipated Hanford waste-glass composition region.
Revised: April 11, 2003 |
Published: September 27, 2002