RICHLAND, Wash. – EM’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is combing the world for ways to make the vitrification of nuclear and chemical waste at the Hanford Site quicker, safer, more efficient and less expensive.

   ORP glass scientist Albert Kruger is collaborating with other glass scientists and technologists around the world through EM’s International Programs, which facilitates knowledge and technology sharing. These partnerships will continue under EM’s newly formed Technology Development Office (TDO).

   “The quality of our nuclear cleanup work, particularly in vitrification processes, will improve as we share and add to the body of knowledge in glass science and engineering,” TDO Director Rodrigo Rimando said. “From glasses formed through natural processes, to ancient glassworks, the knowledge we gain through international collaborations will inform the glassification processes we use to stabilize our highly radioactive waste.”

   Rimando continued, “Through Kruger’s technical leadership and with the expertise of DOE’s national labs, such as Savannah River National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), we will continue to actively engage with government organizations, educational and research institutions, and related commercial organizations in countries such as Sweden, England, the Czech Republic and Japan.”

   Kruger said EM-funded endeavors have contributed significantly to the science of waste treatment and the results have been published in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.

   “Aside from their contributions to the body of science, these projects advance the information from which the engineers can refine and enhance the efficiency of treatment,” Kruger said. “These improvements translate to savings for the taxpayer.”

   One glass research project involves Akita University of Japan and is titled, “Composition Effects on the Thermal Properties of Hanford Glass Melts.” The project could result in more accurately estimated heat management requirements within the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant melter and canister finishing lines, thereby reducing conservatism in design.

   Each project partners with at least one DOE national laboratory. Akita University’s U.S. partner, for example, is the Richland, Wash.,-based PNNL.

   A research project from Sellafield Ltd. in the United Kingdom titled, “Technetium Chemistry and Coordination Studies,” seeks to add to the technical foundation for “increasing the waste loading in low-activity glass, which can lead to a significant reduction in the glass volume produced.” This could save millions of dollars and cut the time to vitrify Hanford’s low-activity waste (LAW).

   Sellafield partners with PNNL, Washington State University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Stanford (University) Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource.

   One project turned to the past to prepare for Hanford’s future.

   ORP partners with PNNL, the Division of Waste Science and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, and the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Conservation Institute to study ancient glass, ranging from 600 to 2,000 years old, to benchmark and validate accelerated aging tests of ORP’s vitrified LAW.

   The glass is found in Swedish hillforts, which are defensive structures located on natural earthen highpoints, and other European locations and has many of the same metal oxides to be used in the glass formula for ORP’s vitrified LAW.

   “The hillfort glass work was featured as a cover story of the ‘American Ceramic Society Bulletin,’” said Kruger. “Aside from the accolades for the science it should be remembered that the benefit to the EM mission is the knowledge of how silicate glasses really age over 1,500 to 2,000 years. This knowledge allows us to provide assurance for the protection of the environment by our choice of waste form for treatment of the tank wastes.”

   Kruger continued, “Always in the forefront of my work is to incorporate the most relevant technology for cost-effective execution of our mission without disrupting the completion of constructing the baseline design of the treatment facility,” he said. “An important component of our effort to add to the glass body of knowledge and effect impactful baseline changes is subjecting our work to external peer review as part of the professional publication process, for example. This also allows us to freely share our work across the DOE complex and with our international partners.” 

   Rimando added, “One of EM’s primary products is glass, albeit immobilized and stabilized highly radioactive waste. We have the responsibility to safely deliver high-quality, durable glass that immobilizes highly radioactive waste in a manner that smartly utilizes public funds."