An interlaboratory study of a standard glass for acceptance testing of low-activity waste glass

Abstract

An interlaboratory study was conducted to determine the precision with which the composition and chemical durability of a borosilicate glass could be measured and to generate a data base of expected values for that glass. The study was conducted with a low-activity reference material (LRM) glass that was developed for use as a standard material for acceptance testing of immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) products, including those to be made with Hanford tank wastes. The study provided nine independent measurements of the LRM glass composition and eight independent sets of triplicate product consistency tests (PCTs) at 40°C and 90°C. Statistical analysis of these data indicates that LRM glass is suitable for use as a composition and test standard. The results from this study can be used to evaluate the accuracy of composition analyses and PCTs conducted with LRM glass at other laboratories in conjunction with acceptance tests conducted with ILAW products.