SUCCESS WITH THE LARGEST VITRIFICATION OF LOW-LEVEL MIXED WASTE

GTS Duratek’s waste vitrification facility at the M-Area of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) is in the process of stabilizing over 660,000 gallons of mixed waste. This project is the first commercial-scale application of vitrification for mixed waste treatment, and it is the highest capacity application of joule-heated ceramic melter technology for radioactive/hazardous waste treatment. Currently (July 1998), the facility is at full design production levels of 5 tons glass per day, and is performing at high average plant availability which has approached 90 percent for he past three months. Production levels of 5.5 tons glass per day (in excess of design capacity) have also been demonstrated for sustained periods. Nearly 600 tons of waste glass product have been generated and approximately 60 percent of the waste by weight (and 80% by volume) has been treated, as the project targets completion in the fourth quarter of 1998.