PNNL

Abstract

Increasing the rate of glass processing in the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will allow shortening the life cycle of waste cleanup at the Hanford Site. While the WTP melters have approached the limit of increasing the rate of melting by enhancing the heat transfer rate from molten glass to the cold cap, a substantial improvement can still be achieved by accelerating the feed-to-glass conversion kinetics. This study investigates in detail how the feed-to-glass conversion process responds to changes in the feed makeup, including the chemicals used for glass-forming and modifying additives, silica grain-size, and heat-generating reactants. By identifying the means of control of primary foam formation and silica grain dissolution, it provides quantitative data needed for a meaningful and economical design of large-scale experiments aimed at achieving faster melting in WTP melters.