Synthesis and leaching behaviour of borosilicate glasses containing uranium as radioactive waste

Banwarilal Bhalotia College, Asansol-713 303, West Bengal, India
Department of Chemistry, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia-723 104, West Bengal, India
E-mail: jayantajune@gmail.com
Manuscript received online 05 December 2020, revised and accepted 29 December 2020

Borosilicate glasses loaded with uranium have been prepared for immobilization nuclear waste. In our work we melt the glass
batches at in the temperature range from 800–900ºC and soaked for 90 min to achieve homogeneity of the glass. We study
the pH of the leachate and it was ranging from 6.18 up to 7.45 under different time. We performed the Leaching behavior
the sample glasses in a apparatus called Soxhlet with a maximum time period of 200 h with distilled water. Weight losses of
the glasses were measured electronic balance with time interval. Residual activities were followed by ‘Radiotracer technique’
with cumulative time period for leaching. Leaching rate is calculated by measuring the surface area of the leached glass
samples. The findings are 4.14×10^–4 and 8.26×10^–3 (in g.m^–2.h^–1) respectively at 90ºC. The result are explained with ionic
potential value (the ionic charge/ionic radii) of modifier doped in glass structure. Leaching studies are important because waste
glasses have to be kept under ground for a very long time period.