Development of Glass-based Confinement Matrix for Plutonium-containing Waste

Plutonium containing waste with characteristics of high ²³⁹Pu content and difficult reuse must be immobilized as soon as possible before safe disposal. Glass and glass-ceramics considered to be more excellent confinement matrices (simpler process, lower cost and higher productivity) for immobilizing plutoniumcontaining waste than ceramics were studied extensively and thoroughly including alkali borosilicate glass, lanthanide borosilicate glass, iron phosphate glass and zirconolite, pyrochlore or monazite-based glass-ceramics. Their chemical composition, chemical durability and the content of plutonium or its surrogate were presented and discussed by contrast in this paper. It is believed that glass-ceramics will be a good alternative for immobilizing most of plutonium-containing waste through consistently investigating and applying.