Patent ID: 8575415

Claim:
A process for immobilizing high alkaline wastes in glass which achieves a high concentration of waste constituents (waste loading) comprising: combining a waste stream having one or more of radionuclides, hazardous elements, and hazardous components with glass-forming components in proportion to achieve a mixture capable of forming a high alkaline silicate-based glass consisting essentially of about 1.6 to about 2.2 parts in weight percent of a combination of monovalent cation oxides (R 2 O) and divalent cation oxides (RO), about 1 part in weight percent trivalent cation oxides (R 2 O 3 ), and about 2 to about 3 parts in weight percent of a combination of tetravalent cation oxides (RO 2 ) and pentavalent cation oxides (R 2 O 5 ), wherein Na 2 O is present in an amount greater than 23 weight percent, Al 2 O 3 is present in an amount greater than about 13 weight percent and less than about 20 weight percent, Si02 is present in an amount greater than about 30 weight percent and less than about 48 weight percent, and B 2 O 3 and other flux components are present in a total amount greater than about 9 weight percent and less than about 15 weight percent; melting the mixture to form a melted glass with integrated waste; and solidifying the melted glass with integrated waste by cooling to form said high alkaline silicate-based glass.