Patent ID: 6145343
Filing Date: 2000-11-14
Classification: C03C,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of decreasing the melting point of a waste glass that contains sodium oxide, potassium oxide, rubidium oxide, cesium oxide, or combinations thereof and that immobilizes radioactive, hazardous, or mixed waste, comprising:preparing a mixture of waste and glass formers, comprising lithia or a lithia former, selected from the group consisting of Li and lithium compounds that convert to lithia during melting at elevated temperatures, in an amount sufficient to provide between about 0.16 wt % and about 11.0 wt % Li.sub.2 O in the glass composition, based upon the total weight of oxide glass formers in the glass composition;heating the mixture to a temperature below the melting point of a corresponding mixture without said lithia or lithia formers;melting the mixture at said temperature; andcooling the melted mixture so that the radioactive, hazardous or mixed waste is vitrified to form a glass.