ABSTRACTAn on-line method is described for the near-continuous monitoring of the composition of a molten radioactive waste glass or, alternatively, for signaling a deviation from the target composition of a waste glass. The principle of this method, proposed by A. Schneider in 1986, is founded on the relation between two specific physical properties and composition in a ternary system. Most glasses currently considered as waste forms can be represented as pseudo-ternary systems. The pair of properties especially well suited for this purpose are the viscosity and density of the molten glass. A novel viscometry method was developed which uses the remotely determined rise velocity of carefully metered gas bubbles. The monitoring method was tested successfully with simulated Savannah River waste glasses. An integrated probe was conceived for a Joule-heated melter for the on-line determination of viscosity, temperature, density, and liquid level. A computer program calculates the glass composition from the measured data, using information from a previously developed data base.
Nepheline crystallization and the residual glass composition: Understanding waste glass durability
