U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated performance enhancements to the Hanford waste treatment and immobilization plant (WTP) high-level waste vitrification (HLW) system

Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: The U.S Department of Energy is currently constructing, at the Hanford, Washington Site, a Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) for the treatment and immobilization, by vitrification, of stored underground tank wastes. The WTP is comprised of four major facilities: a Pretreatment facility to separate the tank waste into high level waste (HLW) and low activity waste (LAW); a HLW vitrification facility to immobilize the HLW fraction; a LAW vitrification facility to immobilize the LAW fraction and an analytical Laboratory to support the treatment facilities. DOE has strategic objectives to optimize the performance of the WTP facilities, and waste forms, in order to reduce the overall schedule and cost for the treatment of the Hanford tank wastes. One key part of this strategy is to maximize the loading of inorganic waste components in the final glass product (waste loading). For the Hanford tank wastes, this is challenging because of the compositional diversity of the wastes generated over several decades. This paper presents the results of an initial series of HLW waste loading enhancement tests, using diverse HLW compositions that are projected for treatment at the WTP. Specifically, results of glassmore » formulation development and melter testing with simulated Hanford HLW containing high concentrations of troublesome components such as bismuth, aluminum, aluminum-sodium, and chromium will be presented. (authors)« less