Vitrification and testing of a Hanford high-level waste sample. Part 1: Glass fabrication, and chemical and radiochemical analysis

The Hanford radioactive tank waste will be separated into low-activity waste and high-level waste that will both be vitrified into borosilicate glasses. To demonstrate the feasibility of vitrification and the durability of the high-level waste glass, a high-level waste sample from Tank AZ-101 was processed to glass, analyzed with respect to chemical composition, radionuclide content, waste loading, and the presence of crystalline phases and then tested for leachability. The glass was analyzed with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, γ-energy spectrometry, α-spectrometry, and liquid scintillation counting. The WISE Uranium Project calculator was used to calculate the main sources of radioactivity to the year 3115. The observed crystallinity and the results of leachability testing of the glass will be reported in Part 2 of this paper.