Development and Demonstration of the DWPF (Defense Waste Processing Facility) Canister Decontamination Process Using Frit Slurry Blasting

摘要

Stainless steel canisters will be filled with high-level radioactive waste glass in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Plant. The canister surface must be decontaminated to an acceptable level before welding the permanent closure and transferring the canister to temporary storage. This will be accomplished by blasting with an air-injected glass frit slurry which will remove the contaminated brown oxide layer that is produced during glass pouring. The contaminated slurry from the decon process becomes feed for the melter, thereby producing no secondary waste. Development of the equipment design, blasting sequence, and process parameters was achieved by testing a full-scale Experimental Canister Frit Blaster. The design improvements were incorporated in the fabrication of the remotely operated DWPF Canister Decontamination Chambers. Demonstration of these improvements and the additional equipment in the first CDC will be accomplished through operability testing at the Equipment Test Facility. 5 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab. (ERA citation 13:046371)