Leach mechanisms of borosilicate glass Defense Waste Forms - effects of composition

The study described below concerns the mechanisms which control the leaching of two Defense Wasteforms, viz. SRL TDS-131 glass and MCC Defense Waste Reference Glass. It is shown that both the leach mechanisms and the structure of the leached surface are strongly dependent not only on the composition of the leachant and the contact time between the leachant and the glass but also on the exact composition of the glass. The relatively minor differences in composition between the two glasses investigated here were observed to give rise to large differences in leach behavior, in particular upon prolonged contact with water, rather than to limited changes in leach rate alone