Continuing research for improving glass matrix for vitrification

Vitrification forms an important part of the management of high level wastes (HLW). In this article the recent endeavours in the area of glass matrix development and optimization are highlighted. This paper presents recent work on the development of glasses capable of withstanding the alpha damage caused by high loading, which is important to minimize waste volume, and therefore eventual space utilization in the repository. The work presented here shows that even at a simulated α loading of 10²⁰ αg^-1, there seems to be no detrimental effect on glass leaching. (author)