Patent Number: 054948630
Section: description

EXAMPLES Low level simulant (from double shell slurry tanks) as shown below in Table 1 was prepared by dissolving the salts in 1 liter of water. The pH of the simulant was reduced to less than 1 by the addition of acetic acid and small amounts of concentrated HC1, HNO.sub.3, or H.sub.2 SO.sub.4. At this point, the stimulant is a true solution with no solid phase present. TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Low-Level Waste Simulant for Double-Shell Slurry Feed Waste Based on Analysis of Six Tanks Plus Dilutes Normalized to 6.0M Na. Com- Target Formula Moles/L ponent concentration Compound Weight required ______________________________________ A1.sup.+3 0.61 A1(NO.sub.3).sub.3.9H.sub.2 O 375.14 0.61 Ca.sup.+2 0.00063 Ca(NO.sub.3).sub.2.4H.sub.2 O 236.16 0.00063 Cr.sup.+3 0.0052 Cr(NO.sub.3).sub.3.9H.sub.2 O 400.17 0.0052 Fe.sup.+3 0.00046 Fe(NO.sub.3).sub.3.9H.sub.2 O 404.01 0.00046 .chi..sup.+ 0.30 KOH 56.10 0.30 Mg.sup.+2 0.00062 Mg(NO.sub.3).sub.2.6H.sub.2 O 256.41 0.00062 Mn.sup.+2 0.00025 Mn(NO.sub.3).sub.2 178.94 0.00025 Mo.sup.+6(a) 0.010 Na.sub.2 MoO.sub.4.H.sub.2 O 241.95 0.010 Na.sup.+ 6.0 -- -- -- Sr.sup.+2(a) 0.010 SrCl.sub.2 158.52 0.010 Cs.sup.+(a) 0.010 CsNO.sub.3 194.91 0.010 PO4.sup.-3 0.026 NaH.sub.2 PO.sub.4.H.sub.2 O 138.00 0.026 10.sub.3.sup.-(a) 0.010 NaIO.sub.3 197.89 0.010 CO.sub.3.sup.-2 0.16 Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 106.00 0.16 C1.sup.- 0.096 NaCl 58.45 0.076 F.sup.- 0.15 NaF 42.00 0.15 SO.sub.4.sup.-2 0.026 Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4 142.06 0.026 NO.sub.3.sup.- 1.9 -- -- -- NO.sub.2.sup.- 1.0 NaNO.sub.2 69.00 1.0 OH--.sup.(b) 2.3 NaOH 40.00 4.0 TOC 0.81 (9.7 g/L) Na.sub.4 EDTA, (C.sub.10) 416.20 0.081 ______________________________________ .sup.(a) Cs, Sr, I, and Mo are spiked to 0.01M to provide sufficient amounts of these elements to allow a mass balance to be determined across the melter. (b)To neutralize acidic hydrolyzable metal salts of Al, Ca, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Sr, an excess of 1.4 moles of NaCH are included. TOC = Total organic carbon Example 1 The following ingredients were added to the simulant to prepare an oxide composition: ______________________________________ Ingredients Grams ______________________________________ Tetraethylsilicate (TEOS) 20.8 Calcium acetate 1.67 Boric Acid 2.13 Aluminum di(isopropoxide) 2.9 acetoacetic chelate ______________________________________ The simulant with a pH less than 1 was added in an amount to provide a mixture with approximately 15% calcined oxides. The sol was kept in an oven for several hours (4-8 hr.) at 60.degree. C. prior to gelation. The gel was slow dried up to 95.degree. C. over a period of 100 hours. The gel was then heated up to 500.degree. C. at a rate of 15.degree. C./hour. Afterward, the gel was heated up to 700.degree. C. at a rate of 60.degree. C./hour for final sintering. The resulting glass composition was: ______________________________________ Glass Components % ______________________________________ Calcined oxides from the waste 15.1 SiO.sub.2 70.0 CaO 3.1 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 6.3 B.sub.2 O.sub.3 6.4 ______________________________________ Example 2 The following ingredients were added to the simulant to prepare an oxide composition: ______________________________________ Ingredients Grams ______________________________________ Tetraethylsilicate (TEOS) 66.1 Calcium acetate 5.0 Boric Acid 5.2 Aluminum di(isopropoxide) 0.0 acetoacetic chelate ______________________________________ The simulant with a pH less than 1 was added in an amount to provide the mixture with approximately 25% (7.95 grams) calcined oxides. The sol was kept in an oven for several hours (i.e. 4-8 hours) at 60.degree. C. prior to gelation. The gel was slow dried up to 95.degree. C. over a period of 100 hours. The gel was then heated up to 500.degree. C. at a rate of 15.degree. C. /hour. Afterward the gel was heated up to 650.degree. C. at a rate of 60.degree. C. /hour for final sintering. The resulting glass composition was: ______________________________________ Glass Components % ______________________________________ Calcined oxides from the waste 25 SiO.sub.2 60 CaO 9.7 B.sub.2 O.sub.3 5.3 ______________________________________ Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration it is understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention which is defined by the following claims.