The nature of the volatile technetium species formed during vitrification of borosilicate glass

Abstract

Vitrification of sodium pertechnetate into borosilicate glass was performed in air at 1100 °C. A glass with a composition similar to the one developed for vitrification of the low activity waste at the Hanford site was used. A red volatile species was observed above 600 °C. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure results indicate the environment of the absorbing Tc atom consists of 2.9(6) O atoms at 1.73(2) A, 2.2(4) O atoms at 2.02(2) A, and 0.8(2) O atoms at 2.18(2) A. The results are consistent with the presence of a mononuclear species with a structure closely related to TcO3(OH)(H2O)2.