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Science 5 October 1984:
Vol. 226. no. 4670, pp. 45 - 48
DOI: 10.1126/science.226.4670.45
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Articles

Lead-Iron Phosphate Glass: A Stable Storage Medium for High-Level Nuclear Waste

B. C. SALES 1 and L. A. BOATNER 1

1 Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831

Results are presented which show that lead-iron phosphate glasses are a promising new waste form for the safe immobilization of both high-level defense and high-level commercial radioactive waste. Relative to the borosilicate nuclear waste glasses that are currently the "reference" waste form for the long-term disposal of nuclear waste, lead-iron phosphate glasses have several distinct advantages: (i) an aqueous corrosion rate that is about 1000 times lower, (ii) a processing temperature that is 100° to 250°C lower, and (iii) a much lower melt viscosity in the temperature range from 800° to 1000°C. Most significantly, the lead-iron phosphate waste form can be processed using a technology similar to that developed for borosilicate nuclear waste glasses.

Submitted on March 19, 1984
Accepted on May 7, 1984


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Phosphates and Nuclear Waste Storage.
E. H. Oelkers and J.-M. Montel (2008)
Elements 4, 113-116
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Phosphates as Nuclear Waste Forms.
R. C. Ewing and L. Wang (2002)
Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 48, 673-699
   Full Text »    PDF »


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