About this Abstract |
Meeting |
Materials Science & Technology 2020
|
Symposium
|
Journal of the American Ceramic Society Awards Symposium
|
Presentation Title |
Glass-ceramics as Potential Waste Forms for Actinide Immobilization |
Author(s) |
Yingjie Zhang, Tao Wei, Zhaoming Zhang, Linggen Kong, Pranesh Dayal, Daniel J Gregg |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Yingjie Zhang |
Abstract Scope |
Actinide-bearing waste streams present a unique set of challenges for their immobilization and long-term disposal. They can range from pure to very impure forms, have long half-lives and can contain fissile material (e.g., Pu-239), thus requiring criticality control and safeguards measures. In this regard, glass-ceramics have been developed as potential waste forms for the immobilization of such actinide-rich radioactive wastes arising from the nuclear fuel cycle. They combine the advantages of conventional borosilicate glasses and their chemical and processing flexibilities such that they can accommodate processing chemicals which may not be incorporated in the ceramic phases, with the superb chemical durability of ceramic phases to host actinides. Recent advances have been made including new glass-ceramic systems, simplified processing techniques and actinide validations using plutonium. This invited talk is intended to provide an overview on some fundamental research activities at ANSTO focusing on the latest development of various glass-ceramic systems. |