The effectiveness and safety of radioactive waste immobilization through vitrification rely heavily upon our ability to predict the fate of glass waste forms over geological time scales. Specifically, developing a fundamental understanding of the chemical reactions that occur at the glass-water interface is critical to providing accurate quantitative estimates of radionuclide release rates. Monte Carlo simulations of the glass-water interface have been employed to enhance our understanding of the atomic-level interplay between the composition, structure, and dissolution behavior of nuclear water glasses. In this presentation, we will review Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of the corrosion of borosilicate glasses. In particular, we will present insights gained from the MC simulations into the effects of adding minor components such as aluminum and hafnium on glass corrosion. The effects of including, in the MC simulations, an explicit treatment of dissolved glass component diffusion within altered glass layers will also be discussed.

Monte Carlo simulations of the corrosion of borosilicate glasses

247th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.