Advanced characterisation of sodium borosilicate glass matrix: a versatile matrix for immobilisation of high level liquid radioactive waste

Glass is a multipurpose engineered material with applications in the areas as diverse as electronics, optics, medicine, superconductivity, radioactive waste immobilisation and so on. The versatility of the matrix has been put to excellent use in radioactive waste management in converting high level radioactive waste streams to vitrified waste product (VWP). The immense possibilities resulting from understanding the chemistry of constituent oxides enable a variety of compositions to be specially designed for specific waste composition. Sodium borosilicate glass matrices are optimal for immobilisation of high level waste into VWP as per stipulated standards for waste disposal owing to its excellent retention of radionuclides. The paper describes the advance characterisation of a selected sodium borosilicate glass matrix loaded with 24 wt % simulated radioactive waste with advanced techniques. The properties studied include chemical stability, phase separation SEM, XRD, radiation stability by FTIR and thermal stability by Differential Thermal Analysis