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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012
We are characterizing the corrosion behavior of the radioactive glass thatwas made with sludge from Tank 51 at the Defense Waste Processing Facility(DWPF) and a nonradioactive glass having the same composition, except forthe absence of radionuclides. Static dissolution tests are being conductedin a tuff groundwater solution at glass surface area/solution volume ratios(S/V) of 2000 and 20,000 m−1. These tests are being conducted toassess the relationship between the behavior of this glass in a 7-dayProduct Consistency Test and in long-term tests, to assess the effects ofradionuclides on the glass corrosion behavior, and to measure thedisposition of radionuclides that are released as the radioactive glasscorrodes. The radioactive glass reacts slower than the nonradioactive glassthrough the longest test durations completed to date, which are 140 days fortests at 2000 m−1 and about 400 days for tests at 20,000 m−1. This is probably because radiolysis results in lowersolution pH values being maintained in tests with the radioactive glass.Rate-affecting alteration phases that had formed within one year in testswith other glasses having compositions similar to the Tank 51 glass have notyet formed in tests with either glass.