Sodium Aluminosilicate Formation in Tank 43H Simulants

This work studied the formation of a sodium aluminosilicate, Na8Al6Si6O24(NO3)2?4H2O, at 40 degree 110 degree C in simulated waste solutions with varied amounts of silicon and aluminum. The data agree well with literature solubility data for sodalite, the analogous chloride salt. The following conclusions result from this work: (1) The study shows, by calculation and experiments, that evaporation of the September 1997 Tank 43H inventory will only form minor quantities of the aluminosilicate. (2) The data indicate that the rate of formation of the nitrate enclathrated sodalite solid at these temperatures falls within the residence time (<; 4 h) of liquid in the evaporator. (3) The silicon in entrained Frit 200 transferred to the evaporator with the Tank 43H salt solution will quantitatively convert to the sodium aluminosilicate. One kilogram of Frit 200 produces 2.1 kg of the sodium aluminosilicate