IMPACTS OF SMALL COLUMN ION EXCHANGE STREAMS ON DWPF GLASS FORMULATION KT07-SERIES GLASS COMPOSITIONS

Abstract

This report is the third in a series of studies of the impacts of the addition of Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST) and Monosodium Titanate (MST) from the Small Column Ion Exchange (SCIX) process on the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) glass waste form and the applicability of the DWPF process control models. MST from the Salt Waste Processing Facility is also considered in the study. The KT07-series glasses were selected to evaluate any potential impacts of noble metals on their properties and performance. The glasses characterized thus far for the SCIX study have not included noble metals since they are not typically tracked in sludge batch composition projections. However, noble metals can act as nucleation sites in glass melts, leading to enhanced crystallization. This crystallization can potentially influence the properties and performance of the glass, such as chemical durability, viscosity, and liquidus temperature. The noble metals Ag, Pd, Rh, and Ru were added to the KT07-series glasses in concentrations based on recent measurements of Sludge Batch 6, which was considered to contain a high concentration of noble metals. The KT04-series glasses were used as the baseline compositions. After fabrication, the glasses were characterized to determine their homogeneity, chemical composition, durability, and viscosity. Liquidus temperature measurements are also underway but were not complete at the time of this report. The liquidus temperature results for the KT07-series glasses, along with several of the earlier glasses in the SCIX study, will be documented separately. All of the KT07-series glasses, both quenched and slowly cooled, were found to be amorphous by X-ray diffraction. Chemical composition measurements showed that all of the glasses met their targeted compositions. The Product Consistency Test (PCT) results showed that all of the glasses had chemical durabilities that were far better than that of the Environmental Assessment benchmark glass. The measured PCT responses were well predicted by the current DWPF Product Composition Control System (PCCS) durability models. The measured viscosity values for each KT07-series glass were acceptable for DWPF processing and were well predicted by the current PCCS model. Overall, the results show that the inclusion of relatively high concentrations of noble metals (in terms of expected values for a DWPF sludge batch) had no significant impact on the properties and performance of these glass compositions. There were no significant differences in the measured properties when compared to those of the KT04-series glasses, which did not contain noble metals. Liquidus temperature measurements are still underway and there may be an impact of the noble metals on those measurements. However, no adverse effects were noted in terms of crystallization after slow cooling. At the completion of these studies, all of the data generated will be reviewed with regard to the applicability of the DWPF PCCS models and recommendations will be made as to whether the validation ranges of the current models can be extended, or whether some or all of the models need to be refit to allow for the incorporation of the SCIX streams. As changes are made to the projected sludge compositions and the volume of the SCIX material, additional evaluations should be performed.