Fabrication and characterization of MCC approved testing material: ATM-9 glass

The Materials Characterization Center ATM-9 glass is designed to be representative of glass to be produced by the Defense Waste Processing Facility at the Savannah River Plant, Aiken, South Carolina. ATM-9 glass contains all of the major components of the DWPF glass and corresponds to a waste loading of 29 wt %. The feedstock material for this glass was supplied by Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, SC, as SRL-165 Black Frit to which was added Ba, Cs, Md, Nd, Zr, as well as 99Tc, depleted U, 237Np, 239+240Pu, and 243Am. The glass was produced under reducing conditions by the addition of 0.7 wt % graphite during the final melting process. Three kilograms of the glass were produced from April to May of 1984. On final melting, the glass was formed into stress-annealed rectangular bars of two sizes: 1.9 x 1.9 x 10 cm and 1.3 x 1.3 x 10 cm. Seventeen bars of each size were made. The analyzed composition of ATM-9 glass is listed. Examination by optical microscopy of a single transverse section from one bar showed random porosity estimated at 0.36 vol % with nominal pore diameters ranging from approx. 5 μm to 200 μm. Only one distinct second phase was observed and it was at a low concentraction level in the glass matrix. The phase appeared as spherical metallic particles. X-ray diffraction analysis of this same sample did not show any diffraction peaks from crystalline components, indicating that the glass contained less than 5 wt % of crystalline devitrification products. The even shading on the radiograph exposure indicated a generally uniform distribution of radioactivity throughout the glass matrix, with no distinct high-concentration regions