Oak Ridge National Laboratory West End Treatment Facility simulated sludge vitrification demonstration, Revision 1

Technologies are being developed by the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Nuclear Facility sites to convert hazardous and mixed wastes to a form suitable for permanent disposal. Vitrification, which has been declared the Best Demonstrated Available Technology for high-level radioactive waste disposal by the EPA, is capable of producing a highly durable wasteform that minimizes disposal volumes through organic destruction, moisture evaporation, and porosity reduction. However, this technology must be demonstrated over a range of waste characteristics, including compositions, chemistries, moistures, and physical characteristics to ensure that it is suitable for hazardous and mixed waste treatment. These wastes are typically wastewater treatment sludges that are categorized as listed wastes due to the process origin or organic solvent content, and usually contain only small amounts of hazardous constituents. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s (ORNL) West End Treatment Facility`s (WETF) sludge is considered on of these representative wastes. The WETF is a liquid waste processing plant that generates sludge from the biodenitrification and precipitation processes. An alternative wasteform is needed since the waste is currently stored in epoxy coated carbon steel tanks, which have a limited life. Since this waste has characteristics that make it suitable for vitrification with a high likelihood of success, it was identified as a suitable candidate by the Mixed Waste Integrated Program (MWIP) for testing at CU. The areas of special interest with this sludge are (1) minimum nitrates, (2) organic destruction, and (3) waste water treatment sludges containing little or no filter aid

Vitrification of Cesium-Laden Organic Ion Exchange Resin in a Stirred Melter

The goal of this research was a feasibility study for vitrifying the organic ion exchange resin in a stirred-tank melter. Tests were conducted to determine the fate of cesium including the feed, exit glass, and offgas streams and to assess any impact of feeding the resin on the melter or its performance

Melter performance during surrogate vitrification campaigns at the DOE/Industrial Center for Vitrification Research at Clemson University

This report summarizes the results from seven melter campaigns performed at the DOE/Industrial Center for Vitrification Research at Clemson University. A brief description of the EnVitco EV-16 Joule heated glass melter and the Stir-Melter WV-0.25 stirred melter are included for reference. The report discusses each waste stream examined, glass formulations developed and utilized, specifics relating to melter operation, and a synopsis of the results from the campaigns. A `lessons learned` section is included for each melter to emphasize repeated processing problems and identify parameters which are considered extremely important to successful melter operatio

Vitrification of simulated radioactive Rocky Flats plutonium containing ash residue with a Stir Melter System

A demonstration trial has been completed in which a simulated Rocky Flats ash consisting of an industrial fly-ash material doped with cerium oxide was vitrified in an alloy tank Stir-Melter{trademark} System. The cerium oxide served as a substitute for plutonium oxide present in the actual Rocky Flats residue stream. The glass developed falls within the SiO{sub 2} + Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/{Sigma}Alkali/B{sub 2}O{sub 3} system. The glass batch contained approximately 40 wt% of ash, the ash was modified to contain {approximately} 5 wt% CeO{sub 2} to simulate plutonium chemistry in the glass. The ash simulant was mixed with water and fed to the Stir-Melter as a slurry with a 60 wt% water to 40 wt% solids ratio. Glass melting temperature was maintained at approximately 1,050 C during the melting trials. Melting rates as functions of impeller speed and slurry feed rate were determined. An optimal melting rate was established through a series of evolutionary variations of the control variables` settings. The optimal melting rate condition was used for a continuous six hour steady state run of the vitrification system. Glass mass flow rates of the melter were measured and correlated with the slurry feed mass flow. Melter off-gas was sampled for particulate and volatile species over a period of four hours during the steady state run. Glass composition and durability studies were run on samples collected during the steady state run

Vitrification of Cesium-Laden Organic Ion-Exchange Resin in a Stirred Melter

The goal of this research was a feasibility study for vitrifying the organic ion exchange resin in a stirred-tank melter. Tests were conducted to determine the fate of cesium including the feed, exit glass, and offgas streams and to assess any impact of feeding the resin on the melter or its performance

EV-16 Vitrification Trials with MnO{sub 2} and Surrogate B{ampersand}C Pond Sludge

The Savannah River Technology Center has demonstrated the feasibility of using the Transportable Vitrification System for the treatment of Low-Level Mixed Wastes

Los Alamos National Laboratory simulated sludge vitrification demonstration

Technologies are being developed to convert hazardous and mixed wastes to a form suitable for permanent disposal. Vitrification, which has been declared the Best Demonstrated Available Technology (BDAT) for high-level radioactive waste disposal by the EPA, is capable of producing a highly durable wasteform that minimizes disposal volumes through organic destruction, moisture evaporation, and porosity reduction. However, this technology must be demonstrated over a range of waste characteristics, including compositions, chemistries, moistures, and physical characteristics to ensure that it is suitable for hazardous and mixed waste treatment. This project plans to demonstrate vitrification of simulated wastes that are considered representatives of wastes found throughout the DOE complex. For the most part, the primary constituent of the wastes is flocculation aids, such as Fe(OH){sub 3}, and natural filter aids, such as diatomaceous earth and perlite. The filter aids consist mostly of silica, which serves as an excellent glass former; hence, the reason why vitrification is such a viable option. LANL is currently operating a liquid waste processing plant which produces an inorganic sludge similar to other waste water treatment streams. Since this waste has characteristics that make it suitable for vitrification and the likelihood of success is high, it shall be tested at CU. The objective of this task is to characterize the process behavior and glass product formed upon vitrification of simulated LANL sludge. The off-gases generated from the production runs will also be characterized to help further develop vitrification processes for mixed and low level wastes