Dissolution of glass in cementitious solutions: An analogue study for vitrified waste disposal

MRS Advances ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (21) ◽  
pp. 1147-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Mann ◽  
Tjin Le Hoh ◽  
Clare L. Thorpe ◽  
Claire L. Corkhill
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Soda Lime ◽  
Waste Materials ◽  
Dissolution Rates ◽  
High Potassium ◽  
Geological Disposal ◽  
Analogue Study ◽  
Disposal Facility ◽  
Soda Lime Silicate Glass ◽  
High Potassium Content

The dissolution of a soda-lime silicate glass in two cement leachate compositions, Young Cement Water (YCW) and Ca(OH)2, was investigated, as an analogue for dissolution of vitrified nuclear waste in a cementitious geological disposal facility. Dissolution was performed at repository temperatures (50°C) and under CO2-exclusion. Dissolution rates were observed to be a factor of 20 times higher in YCW than in Ca(OH)2, as result of the high potassium content of YCW solutions. The precipitation of the zeolite phase, K-phillipsite (K(Si,Al)8O16·6H2O), is thought to be responsible for elevated dissolution rates. Conversely, in Ca(OH)2 solutions, the precipitation of calcium- and silica-containing phases, such as tobermorite (Ca5Si6O16(OH)·4H2O), acted to reduce rates of dissolution by forming a barrier to diffusion. These results show that dissolution of vitrified nuclear waste materials in a cementitous repository may be significant during the early stages of cement leaching in groundwater.

Studies of Ancient Glass and Their Application to Nuclear-Waste Management

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 500-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannelore Römich
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Glass Composition ◽  
Nuclear Waste Management ◽  
High Potassium ◽  
Ancient Glass ◽  
Long Term Behavior ◽  
High Potassium Content

AbstractDuring several hundred years of burial in the soil, glass objects, especially those with the high potassium content of medieval compositions, develop heavily corroded surfaces, showing phenomena such as local pitting, laminated layers, and browning effects. The long-term behavior of glass in the soil or in contact with groundwater is not only of interest to glass scientists with a background in archaeology, but also for those with a special interest in nuclear-waste management. Several attempts have been made to propose the decomposition of ancient glasses as an indicator for the performance of buried nuclear-waste glasses. In spite of differences in glass composition and exposure conditions, the development of alteration or corrosion layers with time is a common concern, as shown in this article. Laboratory experiments, representing a simplified model for real conditions, offer the possibility for systematic investigations.

The solubility of nickel and its migration through the cementitious backfill of a geological disposal facility for nuclear waste

2016 ◽  
Vol 314 ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Felipe-Sotelo ◽  
J. Hinchliff ◽  
L.P. Field ◽  
A.E. Milodowski ◽  
J.D. Holt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Geological Disposal ◽  
Disposal Facility

scholarly journals Editorial

2016 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-215
Author(s):  
Jasper Griffioen ◽  
Ton Wildenborg
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Yucca Mountain ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
National Programme ◽  
Geological Disposal ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Disposal Facility ◽  
The Government ◽  
Optimum Solution

This special issue of the Netherlands Journal of Geosciences is dedicated to geoscientific research related to geological disposal of nuclear waste. Geological disposal of nuclear waste is generally accepted as the optimum solution to the problem, though it has always been politically a hot potato. It was the Secretary of Energy in the first Obama Administration who halted the Yucca Mountain national programme on nuclear waste disposal within six weeks of his appointment, without citing technical or safety issues or presenting alternatives (Alley & Alley, 2013). This contrasts sharply with the Finnish situation where the government granted a construction licence for a final disposal facility on 12 November 2015. Sweden is expected to follow soon.

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