Uranium Retention in Silica-Rich Natural Glasses: Nuclear Waste Disposal Aspect

Uranium-containing glass samples with an age of 140–145 million years were collected within the volcanic rocks of the largest volcanic-related uranium ore deposit in the world. Main features of their composition are high concentrations of silica and uranium, the largest for the rocks of this type. In contrast to this, the ages of fresh (unaltered) low-silica natural glasses of a basic composition (basalts) usually do not exceed a few million years. The volcanic low-silica glass is unstable at longer times and in older ancient rocks is transformed into a crystalline mass. The geochemistry of uranium including the behavior in solids and solutions is similar to that of long-lived transuranic actinides such as radioactive Np and Pu from high-level radioactive waste. This allows uranium to be used as a simulant of these long-lived hazardous radionuclides both at the synthesis and for the study of various nuclear wasteforms: glasses, glass crystalline materials and crystalline ceramics. The data obtained on long-term behavior of natural glasses are of importance for prognosis and validation of stability of nuclear wasteforms disposed of in geological disposal facilities (GDF).

[1]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  Glass, ceramic, and glass-crystalline matrices for HLW immobilisation , 2023, Open Ceramics.

[2]  M. I. Ojovan.  Challenges in the Long-Term Behaviour of Highly Radioactive Materials , 2022, Sustainability.

[3]  O. Andreeva,et al.  Migration and Sorption of Uranium in Various Redox Conditions on the Example of Volcanic-Related Deposits in the Streltsovka Caldera, SE Transbaikalia , 2021, Geology of Ore Deposits.

[4]  M. Schweiger,et al.  Forty years of durability assessment of nuclear waste glass by standard methods , 2021, npj Materials Degradation.

[5]  E. Vicenzi,et al.  Applying laboratory methods for durability assessment of vitrified material to archaeological samples , 2021, npj Materials Degradation.

[6]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  Glass Crystalline Materials as Advanced Nuclear Wasteforms , 2021, Sustainability.

[7]  M. I. Ojovan.  The Modified Random Network (MRN) Model within the Configuron Percolation Theory (CPT) of Glass Transition , 2021, Ceramics.

[8]  M. I. Ojovan.  Glass Formation , 2021, Encyclopedia of Glass Science, Technology, History, and Culture.

[9]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  The Influence of Radiation on Confinement Properties of Nuclear Waste Glasses , 2020, Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations.

[10]  O. Andreeva,et al.  Mesozoic Acid Magmatites of Southeastern Transbaikalia: Petrogeochemistry and Relationship with Metasomatism and Ore Formation , 2020, Geology of Ore Deposits.

[11]  E. Bitay,et al.  Chemical Durability of Uranium Oxide Containing Glasses , 2018 .

[12]  S. Gin,et al.  Radionuclides containment in nuclear glasses: an overview , 2017 .

[13]  B. Boizot,et al.  Impacts of composition and beta irradiation on phase separation in multiphase amorphous calcium borosilicates , 2017 .

[14]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  About U-shaped Glass Corrosion Rate/pH Curves for Vitreous Nuclear Wasteforms , 2017 .

[15]  Yu A. Olkhovyk and Michael I. Ojovan.  Corrosion Resistance of Chernobyl NPP Lava Fuel-Containing Masses , 2015 .

[16]  M. Cuney.  Felsic magmatism and uranium deposits , 2014 .

[17]  E. Sváb,et al.  Structure study of new uranium loaded borosilicate glasses , 2013 .

[18]  N. Hyatt,et al.  The effect of uranium oxide additions on the structure of alkali borosilicate glasses , 2013 .

[19]  S. Stefanovsky,et al.  Confinement matrices for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste , 2012, Geology of Ore Deposits.

[20]  Neil Chapman,et al.  The disposal of radioactive wastes underground , 2012 .

[21]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  Glassy and Glass Composite Nuclear Wasteforms , 2011 .

[22]  R. Ewing.  Actinides and radiation effects: impact on the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle , 2011, Mineralogical Magazine.

[23]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  Crystallisation of a simulated borosilicate high-level waste glass produced on a full-scale vitrification line , 2011 .

[24]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  Handbook of advanced radioactive waste conditioning technologies , 2011 .

[25]  A. D. Riley,et al.  The Impact of Increased Waste Loading on Vitrified HLW Quality and Durability , 2009 .

[26]  S. Gin,et al.  A fractured roman glass block altered for 1800 years in seawater: Analogy with nuclear waste glass in a deep geological repository , 2008 .

[27]  Bernd Grambow,et al.  Nuclear Waste Glasses - How Durable? , 2006 .

[28]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  THE ION EXCHANGE PHASE IN CORROSION OF NUCLEAR WASTE GLASSES , 2006 .

[29]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  Corrosion of alkali–borosilicate waste glass K-26 in non-saturated conditions , 2005 .

[30]  M. I. Ojovan,et al.  Alkali ion exchange in γ-irradiated glasses , 2004 .

[31]  T. Advocat,et al.  Nature and role of natural alteration gels formed on the surface of ancient volcanic glasses (Natural analogs of waste containment glasses) , 2003 .

[32]  J. Bruno,et al.  The applicability and limitations of thermodynamic geochemical models to simulate trace element behaviour in natural waters. Lessons learned from natural analogue studies , 2002 .

[33]  K. Pedersen,et al.  Microbially mediated redox processes in natural analogues for radioactive waste. , 2002, Journal of contaminant hydrology.

[34]  T. Advocat,et al.  Long-term alteration mechanisms in water for SON68 radioactive borosilicate glass , 2001 .

[35]  Leslie G. Mallinson,et al.  Ageing Studies and Lifetime Extension of Materials , 2001 .

[36]  Wolfgang Runde,et al.  Geochemical interactions of actinides in the environment. , 2000 .

[37]  Fred Karlsson,et al.  Natural analogue studies: present status and performance assessment implications , 1997 .

[38]  D. L. Shettel,et al.  Volcanic glass as a natural analog for borosilicate waste glass , 1993 .

[39]  F. Farges,et al.  STRUCTURAL ENVIRONMENTS OF INCOMPATIBLE ELEMENTS IN SILICATE GLASS/MELT SYSTEMS. II: UIV, UV, AND UVI , 1992 .

[40]  I. McKinley,et al.  A review of the application of natural analogues in performance assessment: improving models of radionuclide transport in groundwaters , 1992 .

[41]  W. F. Mckenzie.  Natural glass analogues to alteration of nuclear waste glass: A review and recommendations for further study , 1990 .

[42]  R. Zielinski.  Tuffaceous sediments as source rocks for uranium: A case study of the White River Formation, Wyoming , 1983 .

[43]  D. C. Noble,et al.  Mobility of Uranium and Thorium in Glassy and Crystallized Silicic Volcanic Rocks , 1971 .