Thermal evaluation of a Cs-loaded waste vitrification
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Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences
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Nuclear power generation has been increasing worldwide over the years,
helping to avoid the emission of billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to
coal power generation, making it a reliable method for providing green energy. However,
as a byproduct of nuclear reactors, as well as fuel processing plants, hospitals, and research
institutes, radioactive waste is generated. These wastes pose a significant risk to human
health and the environment due to the penetration of radioactivity into tissues, which
damages DNA. Therefore, they need to be managed appropriately before long-term
disposal in geological repositories. Among the many radionuclides found in high-activity
waste, 137Cs is of particular concern due to its high mobility in water systems, requiring
special methods for its capture and immobilization in stable matrices. In this study, the
immobilization of 137Cs radionuclides in a borosilicate glass doped with niobium (Nb) was
thermally evaluated through a vitrification process, using a synthetic type A zeolite
saturated with 133Cs (stable) as a simulated radioactive waste. The incorporation of 40.0
wt.% of this material into the glass composition resulted in a vitrified waste with good
melting homogeneity and thermal stability. Several changes due to the incorporation were
detected in thermal analysis (DTA), with events such as glass transition, initial
crystallization, complete crystallization, and subsequent melting all shifting to higher
temperatures. The compositional changes induced by vitrification moved the system to
new locations in the ternary equilibrium phase diagrams of the subsystems, in different
compatibility triangles, and closer to higher liquidus temperatures than those observed for
the raw glass matrix. Through crystallization induced by heat treatment, crystalline phases
were obtained, as indicated in the phase diagrams. Cs atoms previously immobilized in
the glass network structure became components of pollucite crystals (CsAlSi₂O₆) during
heating up to 800 ºC. These results are promising for using this glass composition to
immobilize waste containing 137Cs, as Cs atoms showed excellent interaction with this
system in both the glass and crystalline phases.
Como referenciar
COSTA-SILVA, D.L.; ARAUJO, M.S.; FUNGARO, D.A.; MELLO-CASTANHO, S. Thermal evaluation of a Cs-loaded waste vitrification. Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences, v. 12, n. 4A, p. 1-14, 2024. DOI: 10.15392/2319-0612.2024.2646. Disponível em: https://repositorio.ipen.br/handle/123456789/49081. Acesso em: 20 Jan 2026.
Esta referência é gerada automaticamente de acordo com as normas do estilo IPEN/SP (ABNT NBR 6023) e recomenda-se uma verificação final e ajustes caso necessário.