Abstract
Liquid high-level nuclear waste will be immobilized at the Savannah River Site (SRS) by vitrification in borosilicate glass. The glass will be fabricated in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) where the glass will be poured into stainless steel canisters for eventual disposal in a geologic repository. In order to comply with the Waste Acceptance Preliminary Specifications (WAPS) the durability of the glass needs to be measured during production in order to demonstrate its long term stability and radionuclide release properties. A durability test, designated the Product Consistency Test (PCT), was developed for DWPF glass in order to meet the WAPS requirements. The response of the PCT procedure was based on extensive testing with glasses of widely differing compositions. The PCT was determined to be very reproducible, yield reliable results rapidly, and be easily performed in shielded cell facilities with radioactive samples. In the study attached, Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory independently verified the optimum PCT test parameters for glasses of very similar composition. During this study the following four parameters were investigated: the test duration, necessity for leachate filtration, necessity for sample washing, and the optimum ratio of the sample surface area to leachant volume. 6 refs., 17 tabs.
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