WSRC-MS-95-0422

Waste Vitrification Projects Throughout the U.S. Initiated by SRS (U) \

by C. M. Jantzen Westinghouse Savannah River Company Savannah River Site Aiken, South Carolina 29808 J. C. whitehouse

M. E Smith

w. G. Ramsey

J. B. Pickett

A document prepared for WASTE MANAGEMENTY 1996 at Tucson, from 02/25/96 - 02/29/96.

DOE Contract No. DE-AC09-89SRl8035

This paper was prepared in connection with work done under the above contract number with the U. S. Department of Energy. By acceptance of this paper, the publisher andor recipient acknowledges the U. S. Government's right to retain a nonexclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright covering this paper, along with the right to reproduce and to authorize others to reproduce all or part of the copyrighted paper.

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DISCLAFMIER

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oyr2 WSRC-MS- 95-XXX Keywords: Mixed w a s t e , hazardous waste, waste minimization

WASTE VITRIFICATION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE U. S . INITATIATED BY SRS

Carol M. Jantzen,** John C . Whitehouse, Mike E . Smith, W . G . Ramsey and John B. P i c k e t t

Westinghouse Savannah River C o . Aiken, SC 29808

Extended sunmmary of a paper proposed for p r e s e n t a t i o n and pub l i ca t ion i n t h e Proceedings of t h e Waste Management I n t e r n a t i o n a l Conference, Tucson, AZ, February 25-29, 1996

** (803) 725-2374 (PHONE) (803) 725-4704 (FAX)

Proposed f o r Sess ion 4.5, "Savannah River S i t e - Progress i n Waste Management and Environmental Res tora t ion ."

This paper w a s prepared i n connection w i t h work done under Contract N o . DE-AC-09-89SR18035 w i t h t h e U.S. Department of Energy. By acceptance of t h i s paper, t h e p u b l i s h e r and/or r e c i p i e n t acknowledges t h e U.S. Government's r i g h t t o r e t a i n a nonexclusive, r o y a l t y - f r e e l i c e n s e i n and t o any copyr ight covering t h i s paper, a long with t h e r i g h t t o reproduce and t o a u t h o r i z e others t o reproduce a l l o r p a r t of the copyrighted paper .

WASTE VITRIFICATION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE U. S. INITATIATED BY SRS

Carol M . Jantzen,** John C . Whitehouse, Mike E . Smith, W . G . Ramsey and John B. P i c k e t t , Westinghouse Savannah River C o . , Aiken, S C 29808

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Technologies are being developed by t h e U S Department of Energy's (DOE) N u c l e a r F a c i l i t y si tes t o convert high-level , low-level, and mixed wastes t o a s o l i d s t a b i l i z e d w a s t e form f o r permanent d i s p o s a l . V i t r i f i c a t i o n i s one of t h e most important and environmental ly safest technologies be ing developed.The Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency (EPA) has declared v i t r i f i c a t i o n t h e B e s t Demonstrated Avai lable Technology (BDAT) f o r h igh- leve l r ad ioac t ive waste [l] and 'produced a Handbook of V i t r i f i c a t i o n Technologies f o r Treatment of Hazardous and Radioac t ive Waste [ 2 ] . The Defense Waste Processing F a c i l i t y (DWPF) be ing tested a t SRS w i l l soon s t a r t v i t r i f y i n g t h e high-level waste a t SRS. The DOE O f f i c e of Technology Development (OTD) has taken t h e p o s i t i o n tha t mixed waste needs t o be s t a b i l i z e d t o t h e h ighes t l e v e l reasonably p o s s i b l e t o ensure t h a t t h e r e s u l t i n g waste forms w i l l m e e t bo th cu r ren t and f u t u r e r egu la to ry s p e c i f i c a t i o n s . V i t r i f i c a t i o n produces durable waste forms a t volume reduct ions up t o 97% 131. Large reduct ions i n volume minimize long-term s torage c o s t s making v i t r i f i c a t i o n cost e f f e c t i v e on a l i f e cyc le basis [ 4 1 .

The U S DOE Savannah River S i t e (SRS), which i s opera ted by Westinghouse Savannah R i v e r Company (WSRC), i s c u r r e n t l y i n v e s t i g a t i n g v i t r i f i c a t i o n f o r d i s p o s a l of various low-level and mixed wastes [3,5] Development of "cradle-to-grave" Joule hea ted v i t r i f i c a t i o n processes have been i n i t i a t e d a t SRS f o r a wide v a r i e t y of wastes which inc lude b u t are not l imited t o t h e fol lowing:

spent f i l t e r a i d s from waste water t r ea tmen t w a s t e s ludges combinations of spent f i l t e r aids f r o m w a s t e w a t e r t rea tment and waste s ludges combinations of superna te and w a s t e s ludges i n c i n e r a t o r ash, i n c i n e r a t o r off-gas blowdown combinations of i n c i n e r a t o r ash and off-gas blowdown, cement formulat ions i n need of remediation into glass ion exchange z e o l i t e s inorganic f i l t e r media, a sbes tos or g l a s s f iber f i l t e r s r a d i o a c t i v e materials including TRU wastes

"Cradle-to-grave" vitrification processes are being developed for commercialization and for demonstration in a "Transportable Vitrification System" (TVS) . For each vitrification process the following protocol is followed:

Analyze wastes Develop surrogate if necessary Surrogate "proof-of-principle" laboratory scale studies Actual waste "proof-of-principle" laboratory scale

Surrogate pilot-scale demonstration Actual waste pilot-scale demonstration Actual waste field-scale demonstration or

studies

commercialization

This is the same protocol that was used to develop the "cradle-to- grave" vitrification process for the High-Level Liquid Waste (HLW) at SRS. Figure 1 shows the status of various vitrification projects initiated by SRS.

Vitrification of various low-level and mixed wastes has been demonstrated in laboratory studies at SRS for the following wastes:

Actual SRS M-Area nickel plating line (RCRA F006) waste water sludges and spent filter aids. Stabilization of the heavy metals in the glass was achieved by use of reactive additives* such as diatomaceous earth, perlite (perflo), rice husk ash, and/or precipitated silica, e.g. the Reactive Additive Stabilization Process (RASP) developed at SRS. [ 6 ]

Simulated SRS Consolidated Incinerator Facitilty (CIF) wastes (ash and blowdown alone and mixtures of the two). Stabilization of the heavy metals in the glass was achieved using RASP.

Actual and simulated Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) West End Treatment Facility (WETF) waste water sludges. Stabilization of the heavy metals in the glass was achieved using RASP and conventional glass forming additives. Simulated wastes were vitrified at SRS and the actual wastes were vitrified in a joint SRS/ORR vitrification program at ORR.

Actual and simulated ORR Pond Waste (B&C Ponds) sludge. Stabilization of the heavy metals in the glass was achieved using RASP and conventional glass forming additives. Simulated wastes were vitrified at SRS and the actual wastes were vitrified in a joint SRS/ORR vitrification program at O M .

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Simulated Rocky F l a t s ( R F ) waste water s ludge . S t a b i l i z a t i o n of t h e heavy metals i n t h e g l a s s w a s achieved using RASP and conventional g l a s s forming a d d i t i v e s .

Simulated Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) i n c i n e r a t o r ash. S t a b i l i z a t i o n of t h e heavy metals i n t h e g l a s s w a s achieved using RASP and convent ional g l a s s forming a d d i t i v e s .

Simulated Fernald m i l l t a i l i n g s ( s i l o waste from O U - 4 ) . S t a b i l i z a t i o n of t h e heavy metals i n t h e g l a s s w a s achieved using RASP and conventional g l a s s forming a d d i t i v e s .

Non-radioactive asbes tos pipe coverings d i s so lved o f f p ipe using hot concentrated NaOH i n a p a t e n t developed a t S R S . The asbes tos and NaOH a r e f e d d i r e c t l y t o a m e l t e r f o r v i t r i f i c a t i o n .

Non-radioacitve r e s i n s of i n t e r e s t t o t h e E l e c t r i c Power Research I n s t i t u t e under a j o i n t SRS/EPRI Cooperative Research And Developement Agreement (CRADA)

Small samples of a c t u a l and simulated Am/Cm r e s idues have been v i t r i f i e d f o r s a f e shipment t o ORR f o r ORR t o recover t h e s e valuable i so topes .

Small samples of a c t u a l and simulated Pu wastes have been v i t r i f i e d f o r s a f e s torage o r d i s p o s a l as p a r t of development of a l a r g e sca l e process f o r d i s p o s i t i o n of excess Pu.

P i l o t s c a l e v i t r i f i c a t i o n of t h e following wastes has been achieved.

Actual and simulated SRS M - A r e a wastes. The a c t u a l w a s t e p i l o t s c a l e demonstration w a s carried out a t the Cathol ic Universi ty of America and t h e s imulated p i l o t s c a l e demonstration was c a r r i e d out a t Clemson Universi ty

Actual ORR WETF and K 2 5 Pond Sludge wastes are t o be v i t r i f i e d i n an SRS p i l o t s c a l e mel ter a t RUST Federal under a j o i n t CRADA

... _.. _.-_ ::.-1.--- --:+ . . . .

Actual waste process ing includes t h e following wastes. The DWPF w i l l be s t a r t i n g soon. The f i rs t commercial f u l l scale and f irst f i e l d scale demonstrat ions of a c t u a l mixed w a s t e i n t h e DOE complex w i l l occur i n e a r l y 1996 based on t h e "cradle-to-grave" processes developed by SRS.

V i t r i f i c a t i o n of high-level wastes

V i t r i f i c a t i o n of ORR sludges (K25 Pond Waste and WETF Sludge) w i l l be i n i t i a t e d i n March, 1996 i n t h e SRS Transportable V i t r i f i c a t i o n System (TVS)

V i t r i f i c a t i o n of M-Area Sludge w i l l be i n i t i a t e d i n May, 1996 a t SRS i n a s t a t i o n a r y Vendor Treatment F a c i l i t y (VTF

Summaries o f t h e waste c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , l abo ra to ry t r e a t a b i l i t y s t u d i e s ( c ruc ib l e and p i l o t scale) , and glass formulations w i l l be d iscussed . This detai l w i l l i nc lude p e r t i n e n t information about

waste loading m e l t temperature vary ing a l k a l i additives vary ing reactive si l ica additives ( p e r l i t e , sand, and

m e l t l i n e r e f r a c t o r y cor ros ion general r e f r a c t o r y corrosion p r e d i c t a b i l i t y of process/product models used t o target

p r e c i p i t a t e d s i l i ca )

glass formulat ions

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This paper w a s p repared i n connection with work done under Cont rac t N o . DE-AC09-89SR18035 wi th t h e U . S . Department of Energy. A p o r t i o n of t h i s work w a s funded by DOE O f f i c e of Technology Development Mixed Waste Focus A r e a (MWFA).

REFERENCES

1. Federa l Regis te r , "Land Disposal R e s t r i c t i o n s f o r T h i r d Thi rd Scheduled Wastes, F i n a l Rule," 55 FR22627 (June 1, 19901.

2 . U . S . Environmental P ro tec t ion Agency, "Handbook: V i t r i f i c a t i o n Technologies fo r Treatment of Hazardous and Radioactive Waste," EPA/625/R-92/002 (May, 1992) .

3 . C.M. Jantzen, J . B . P i c k e t t , and W.G. Ramsey, "Reactive Additive S t a b i l i z a t i o n Process for Hazardous and Mixed Waste V i t r i f i c a t i o n , " Proceedings of t h e Second I n t e r n a t i o n a l Symposium on Mixed Waste, B a l t i m o r e , MD, A.A. Moghissi, R.K. Blauvel t , G.A. Benda, and N.E. Rothermich ( E d s . ) , American Socie ty of Mechanical Engineers, 4.2.1- 4 . 2 . 1 3 (1993) .

. . .. .__...., ”.. .., .,. .̂ ..... * ......,...-....... ......

4. J.L.England and S. Shah, “Preliminary Planning Cost Estimate for Vitrification Alternatives of Mixed Waste, ” U. S. DOE Report WSRC-RP- 92-1209 Savannah River Technology Center, Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC(0ctober 15, 1992).

5. D.F. Bickford, “Advanced Radioactive Waste-Glass MeltersIN fluclear Waste Manaaement IV, G.G. Wicks, D . F . Bickford, and L.R. Bunnell (Eds.), Ceramic Transactions, V . 23 , American Ceramic Society, Westerville, OH, 335-347 (1991).

6. U . S . Patent # 5-434333, July, 1995.

7. U . S . Patent # (patent received J u l y , 1995).

VITRIFICATION DEVELOPMENT MATRIX

Analyze Waste

Surrogate "Proof of Principle"

I Actual Waste "Proof of Principle" I Surrogate Pilot Scale Testing Actual Waste Pilot Scale Testing Commercialization NA

, Prod. Integrated Testing

I lUS5 I Waste Processing

,-+- COMPLETED

IN PROGRESS AND DATE INITIATED

I -4-E

10195 I NA

10/95

5/96

Figure 1. Vitrification Iniative Development Matrix.