Corrosion mechanisms and chemical durability of glass media proposed for the fixation of radioactive wastes

Results from leach tests conducted on simulated wastes fixated in borosilicate and high-silica glasses are presented. During the leaching period, the dissolution rates of several waste components were monitored. These components included alkali metals, alkaline earths, transition metals, rare earths, and an actinide, and it is shown how they differ and how the measurement of leach rates of some of these components can be misleading regarding long-term behavior. The problems of applying the results to the prediction of long-term dissolution behavior are discussed; models are presented for reliable long-term predictions, and the essential tests which must be conducted to allow the formation of these reliable predictions for long-term behavior are listed